Snow Kingdom
by DisneymlpZeldalover
Summary: This is a alternate universe where the crystal heart shattered and was never fixed, leaving our heroes in the snow, never to be seen again. Now the villains rule. But everything changes when a young alicorn awakes from the snow, not remembering anything, including that she's was lost baby princess of the Crystal Empire.
1. The Child in The Snow

Once upon a time… In the land of Equestria, there was a place called the Crystal Empire… It was home to the crystal ponies and their leaders, Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor. Cadance had given birth to a little girl… Her name had not been chosen  
/but the Crystalliling was coming up.

The little princess happened to be an alicorn with incredible powers. But they lead to great pariel. The baby had screamed so loud that the crystal heart had shattered. The icy cold approached the empire. Twilight Sparkle and her friends

tried their best to stop it but couldn't. The empire was engulfed but not before the princesses put a protection spell around it. Little did they know that the smallest alicorn had flown away on accident, getting out of the place before the spell  
/hit. And so, the Crystal Empire was inguled in a snowy disappear… And it's young princess had seemed to vanish…

It was so cold… So unbearably cold… A young girl fluttered open her eyes. She stared around at the world. Where was she? Who was she? All she could remember was being alone with only images of things… Four unicorns with pegasus wings

were always there in her visions, but it was so blurry. A shining light always came too, off some shape… until the darkness hit, then there was nothing… Nothing but dark, cold… And fear.

The child brushed snow out of her pink, purple, and blue mane. The girl was so confused and frightened. She wanted somepony to come and tell her it would be alright, but nopony would, she knew. The pony looked around and fluttered something

that reacted to the cold. She turned to look, silent and afraid. There were wings on her back! Then, looking up, there was a horn on her head. What type of pony was she? Then she heard a noise, a gasp.

"Look! A little girl!" Said the voice.

She turned and saw three young mares with brown cloaks on them.

"Hey, don't be afraid, girl, we're here to help you!" Said one with a white coat and pink and purple curls tied into a stylish knot.

The child backed away slowly then tripped over a mound of snow.

"Whoa! Are you-" A orange mare with violet hair stopped when she saw something.

To prevent herself from getting in the snow, the foal used her humongous wings to hold her up.

"You're an alicorn…" The yellow one whispered.

"A alicorn? Bu-" The earth pony covered the white unicorn with pink and purple's mouth.

"Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, if they find her…" The yellow one with a red mane whispered.

The three looked around as if the wind could hear them.

"Come with us, girl. We're here to help." Sweetie Belle said, gently putting a hoof on the girl's shoulder.

The alicorn kept noticing the one called Applebloom looking at her on the snowy walk to what the three called camp.

"So…" Applebloom started.

"How are you a alicorn?"

The girl didn't know. She knew how to speak at least.

"I-I'm sorry…" She started, a bit raspy though.

"I don't know-" Suddenly, a brown cloak covered her.

"Shhhh! There are spies everywhere." Sweetie Belle whispered.

"What's your name?" Scootaloo asked.

The alicorn stopped.

"My…. Name?"

"Of course, what do they call you?" Sweetie Belle said.

"I don't know." Was all she said.

"Can you remember anything about your family? Where are they?"

"All I can remember is four alicorns and a shape… A heart maybe?" The girl whispered.

The three looked at each other, clearly worried.

Then there was a piercing alarm.

"Oh no!" Scootaloo cried.

"What's that?!" The alicorn yelled.

"Come on!" Applebloom growled.

"What?!" The girl said.

"We have to go! We have to go now!" Sweetie Belle cried.

Suddenly, the alicorn was swiped up by Scootaloo and was put on her back.

"Let's go!" Scootaloo barked.

Applebloom nodded then suddenly, Sweetie Belle gasped.

"My clip!" She creid.

The alicorn turned. "Can't we leave it?"

Sweetie Belle froze.

"No." Was all she whispered.

"Go! Get the alicorn to the camp! Keep her safe!" Applebloom yelled, going to help her friend.

"But Applebloom-"

"That's a order! Go now." Applebloom growled.

Scootaloo suddenly took off.

The alicorn gasped as they raced off. Her long hair flipped around the wind and she turned to see if Applebloom or Sweetie Belle were there but she couldn't see them. All she saw was a black cloud.

She squinted then saw it wasn't a cloud. It was some kind of insect ponies.

"Changelings." Scootaloo explained.

The word made shivers go down the girl's spine and she cuddled the brown cloak closer and made sure it was over her head.

"Hang on! We have a pick up to make!" The mare creid.

They swooped down and Applebloom grabbed her friend's hooves, Sweetie Belle was holding onto her.

The alicorn saw a clip in the unicorn's hair. It was of three blue diamonds.

They looked forward.

"Alicorn! See that stick ahead of us?" Scootaloo yelled.

The girl shook her head suddenly. She had been staring at the changling army. Why were they chasing them? Why did they want these mares?

She turned to see a stick a bit above them ahead.

"I see it!" She creid.

"Good! When I say, pull it!" Scootaloo yelled.

The time had come and the girl pulled the stick.

Scootaloo sped up and the alicorn gasped when she turned around. A changeling was so close then he grabbed her long mane. She screamed and blasted a golden beam with her horn, sending the whole army backwards behind the rocks the stick had been

holding.

Her hair had been let go but she was still frighted.

They landed swiftly and quietly. The alicorn leapt off and looked around. They were at a cave but it was closed off by rocks.

"Oh no! Those changelings must have closed in the rest of the camp!" The girl cried, trying to take back the rocks.

The three only smiled.

Sweetie Belle suddenly thrust herself into the wall and she was gone.

The girl gaped in shock.

"Come on. Let's go!" Applebloom said, stepping in.

Scootaloo nodded to the girl and flew in.

The alicorn slowly walked to it and went in.

The villains of Equestria ruled. For twelve years they had. The alicorn princesses had vanished along with the heros.

Their names were Sombra, Chrysalis, Tirek, and Discord. Discord remembered his friends, missed them too. But when the villains came to him like he knew they would, he didn't even try to fight.

"Where are those stupid changelings? We sent them hours ago!" Tirek groaned.

Chrysalis hissed in retaliation. "How dare you insult my dear changelings!"

Sombra chuckled darkly.

But Discord wasn't listening. A few minutes earlier, he had felt some kind of shift. Something like a spark had been lit. He had sensed great magic… Alicorn magic. But it was impossible, wasn't it?

Suddenly, a snowy changling army entered.

All the rulers sat up.

"Your majesty's! Report from the north. We caught sight of the leaders of the rebels!" One said very proudly.

His queen looked around. "Well? Where are they?!" She growled.

"Er… We didn't exactly catch them, my queen."

They all groaned.

"You can't catch three whimpy little girls?!" Sombra yelled.

Discord snickered.

"Little girls? It's been twelve years! They're practically adults."

"But more news. They had a child with them covered in a brown cloak. We couldn't see her face." The leader continued.

"A child? What news is a filly?" Tirek growled.

"This child had powerful magic. Magic that our army has only seen once before…. She seemed as strong as a…. Alicorn."

The room was silent when Sombra chuckled.

"Bring us this child."


	2. New Friends And Skills

The young alicorn had already found home in the camp after two weeks of living in it. Everyone accepted her and liked her. They also expected great things from a alicorn. They stopped asking about her heritage because she didn't know. The filly looked  
all around the camp which held many good ponies but couldn't find her parents.

She had been named Flurry Heart for being found in the snow and for only remembering a heart.

She had found that she liked Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.

Scootaloo was really cool and acted like a sister the girl didn't know if she had. Scootaloo could fly fast but one time, on a flying lesson which she excelled in, Flurry Heart noticed that there always was a certain clicking when she flapped  
or opened her wings. When she asked why, Scootaloo sighed.

"Look, when I was little, I had really tiny wings, I could only get barely off the ground. Then, my idol, Rainbow Dash went to the Crystal Empire for something… Royal, I don't know or care anymore."

"What happened?"

"She didn't come back, nopony did. The town knew without our heros, villains would come back. They did and Applebloom, Sweetie Belle and I fought with the adults. Applebloom got her scars from that fight. After finding this camp, Sweetie  
Belle made a portal to this from the rocks…. I realized I didn't have time for growing up, that was long gone so Applebloom, smart as she, is made me these fake, robot wings that attach to my small wings, they never grew."

Sweetie Belle always kept her clip in because it was her sister's. This had all happened when they were eight years old, now they were nineteen.

Flurry had seen Applebloom with the three thin scars on her cheek after going to the camp. Applebloom was a mystery to her. She was silent most of the time and only opened up to her two best friends. She was sharp and stubborn when speaking to  
everypony else.

One day, Flurry Heart decided to go and get some berries with Applebloom to talk, bond. She of course woar her brown cloak to cover her huge wings

Berries were rare and they had been trying to find for hours.

"So… What's your story?" Flurry Heart muttered.

"Excuse me?" Applebloom snapped, turning to her.

"Nothing! Just your friends have backstories and… I thought you would have one."

The mare looked away.

"How did you get those scars?" Flurry continued.

"... Eagle claw."

"Huh?"

"A traitor gave me these scars. He had a eagle claw." Applebloom whispered.

Flurry Heart looked at her.

"I'm so-"

"Leave me alone. We're looking for berries, remember?" Applebloom huffed.

"Right." Flurry Heart whispered.

"Was her name, your sister's…. Applejack?"

Applebloom froze. Turning, she had tears in her eyes.

"My sister was named Applejack. H-how did you know?"

"I heard the name before, somehow." Flurry Heart shrugged.

"I…. I don't think… I don't think she's gone. I think the Crystal Empire could be real! Not just a myth." They looked at each other and for once, Flurry Heart saw a glimpse of hope in the mare's eyes.

Then, they heard a small scream of horror. They ran to the noise and found a little while away, a small yak boy shaking profusely as changelings cornered him.

When he saw the two, his eyes lit up.

"Please, help me!" He creid.

"Shut it, boy!" Yelled the leader. Suddenly, a snowball hit him in the head.

He turned to see Applebloom had token out her pink hair bow that had held her mane in a ponytail and had used it as a sort of slap shot. She put another snowball in fired.

"Attack!" The leader yelled.

The rest of the army charged and Flurry Heart flushed in suprise.

She was the secret weapon of the rebels. If the villains knew she was a alicorn, they would want her dead and would go through any means to do that. She had to keep it secret.

The filly used her magic to fling snow at them.

She laughed at their tumbling but found a hoof had grabbed her.

She gave a muffled scream as she was tugged behind a tree.

Flurry turned and raised hoof to punch her captor when she saw it was the little yak they had saw cowering.

"Y-you…. You're just a boy." She breathed softly, dropping her hoof.

The yak nodded. "Listen, we gotta get you out of here." He whispered.

Flurry looked around and saw Applebloom wasn't there.

"Okay. Let's get my friend an-" He covered her mouth and she glanced at him in confusion.

"Listen to me, that mare isn't your friend. She's going to betray you!"

Flurry pushed his hoof away and smiled.

"I don't even know your name. Why would I trust you?"

The yak sighed.

"My name is Prince Randolph, but you can call me Randy."

The alicorn raised her eyebrows.

"Prince? Cool. Now, who told you Applebloom would betray me?"

They heard a little tinkling and a tiny creature popped out of his fur.

"I did, thank you!" Snapped a little gray breezie with a black mane.

Flurry Heart giggled.

"Oh! Of course, you did!"

The breezie huffed.

"This is my friend, Ashy Breeze. I found him yesterday and he can tell when something powerful or a betreal is nearby!" Randy creid.

They suddenly heard a yell. Flurry Heart snapped out of her trance of Randy's deep brown eyes.

She rembered Applebloom and gasped. She peeked out from behind the tree and saw her friend weak and ingired on the ground.

A changling walked up to the mare and grinned.

"With you, your precious friends will give themselves up and your little resistance will crumble." He laughed.

"No!" Flurry Heart creid, running and tackling him to the ground.

"Leave my friend alone!" She yelled, giving a slap square in the jaw.

"Get her off me!" The leader grunted.

Changings grabbed her from behind and she yelled in protest.

"Let go of me!" She growled.

When they didn't, her anger grew and grew until she snapped.

Her cloak flew off and captured her guards. Her powerful, huge wings spread out behind her and flew her up.

The girl's blue eyes turned pure white and her hair billowed behind her.

"YOU WILL BE REALESE MY FRIEND AND LEAVE THE REBEL ALLIANCE ALONE OR I WILL FIND YOU AND YOU WILL BE-" She stopped speaking and touched her head. Her white eyes faded back to blue and she fainted from exsaughtion.

"I knew it. The girl is a alicorn." The leader laughed. He walked up to the filly who had snow in her long mane and eyelashes. He slung her on his back and was about to take her away when he heard a yell.

"Realese her!" Applebloom had rose, Randy and Ashy Breeze stood beside her.

"Trust me, I will realese her, but right into at my Queen's hooves." He cakled.

"No!" Randy creid.

But suddenly, his head was a block of ice.

The three gasped.

"Foolish…" Flurry Heart grunted softly, still exsaughsted. She carefully flew to the ground.

"Thank goodness you're okay!" Applebloom creid, running to her.

The alicorn yawned and leaned on Applebloom. The mare flushed and looked down at the filly.

"Don't worry, you'll be safe…" She whispered softly, brushing back some of the girl's mane.

Applebloom let out a tiny whimper, rembering how she had been in almost the same way twelve long years ago, when she had a big sister.

"You'll be… Safe." Her voice cracked.

Randy walked up and smiled at the sleeping girl.

"My father will be exspecting me. You shall come too, he wishes to speak with the resistance leaders and of course, a new alicorn." He sighed.

Ashy Breeze give a tiny sigh. What would he help the princess now? Or would he help the rulers and take her? It was all a blur. 


	3. Rouge Royalty

Flurry Heart watched as the snow went around her and gently fell on her mane. She then then heard a noise. She whipped around, magic ready.

"Hello?" She whispered.

Nothing…

She slowly turned back but then something snatched her by her hair.

She creid out in pain as it tugged harder till she looked upward to the grey sky.

The girl tried her hardest to wrench away but the force held her firm.

"Hello, little alicorn." Cooed a distorted voice.

Flurry Heart shivered at it.

"Who are you?" She whispered.

Suddenly a black alicorn appeared beside her. Flurry Heart winced at the pain she had trying to move to face her and was forced look upward.

"Does it matter who I am?" The elder asked.

"I'd say so." The girl growled stubbornly. She felt a hard yank at her mane and she yelped, now knowing she had better hold her tounge.

"You'll learn soon enough, girl. You'll learn all of us."

Flurry Heart narrowed her eyes in her confusion.

Then, black smoke with eyes, a red centaur and a creature of many animals appered around her.

She hyperventilated with fear and closed her eyes. "Please, go away… I'm scared…" She whispered.

"Oh! Our precious little deity is frighted! How utterly awful." A dark voice chuckled.

Flurry Heart felt her face grow hot.

"Please." She grunted softly.

She felt her hair finally be released and she fell to the ground. She looked up and saw the villains had faded away.

"W-where…" Flurry Heart whispered, looking around. It was all black until a piercing light filled her sight. It was coming from a heart, like in all her visions.

She slowly walked up to it and was about to touch it when she saw a mare standing beside her.

She was a rose pink with a light pink, purple, and yellow mane. Her violet eyes seemed to dance.

"Who are you?" Flurry Heart whispered.

"No. Who are you?" The mare replied.

She suddenly vanished and the girl herself was looking back. The reflection giggled at her and Flurry Heart stared at herself. Suddenly, that music maker appeared beside the reflection.

"What are you?" She gasped.

The girl gave a taunting smile.

"I'm just you. That's all. But we do deserve to leave this world, don't we?"

"B-but why? What did we do?"

Her reflection suddenly touched the heart and a piercing scream suddenly echoed around her. The heart shattered.

The girl grabbed her ears and cried out as it continued. She looked up and saw her instrument splinter then shattered apart. She gasped and looked at the wood splinters. She carefully picked one up and held onto it.

The girl then saw something horrifying. In the distance loomed a dark cloud and it was going straight at her.

She gasped with fear and turned to run. It was going faster and faster!

She creid out but the darkness swallowed her.

* * *

Flurry Heart awoke with a jolt upward.

Applebloom gasped and turned to her.

"Are you alright?!" She creid, running to the girl's bedside.

She was in a bed of smooth sheets and a pillow. It wasn't much, but it was something.

"It was just a dream… Just a dream…" She assured herself.

Applebloom raised her eyebrows and put her hoof on the bed. Flurry Heart looked around at her quarters.

"W-where are we?" She whispered, looking around a grand room.

"We're in the yak kingdom. King Rutherford and Randy have given us a place to stay until we're ready to go home, which will be immediately after the breakfast." Applebloom said.

Flurry Heart was surprised at how big the palace was. It was like the villains didn't even care if the yaks were there. She was even more surprised when a female yaks came in with dresses for both her and Applebloom.

The filly had never worn a dress before but she liked the feeling. It was a simple blue dress and her long mane had been braided. She saw Applebloom many minutes later but she still wasn't wearing her dress.

"Ah' don't like dresses. It could trip me up and in this time? Ya can't be tripped up." Applebloom replied to the girl's raised eyebrows.

"It is a honor, your highness." Applebloom said, bowing low to the ruler of yaks, King Rutherford.

"As of you, pony." The King replied.

Flurry Heart peeked slowly up at the yak beside him from her own bow. Prince Randy, the boy who had tried to save her life yesterday. He was wrong, but that was a simple mistake.

She caught him along with Ashy Breeze, the breezie staring at her intently.

The girl felt her face grow hot and she felt like she may have hurt herself with the force her head went down. Why was her face so warm? Could she make it warm again? It was so odd.

* * *

That day at breakfast, it was a feast. Flurry Heart raised her eyebrows at a plate of round dough.

"What's this?" She asked, looking up.

Randy laughed. "Pancakes, silly."

"And what are they putting on it?" She asked again, cocking her head at the sappy juce.

"Syrup. You have a lot to learn, little alicorn." King Rutherford laughed gruffly.

Flurry Heart nodded, acting like she had known. She carefully cut a piece with her fork and ate it. Within seconds, she had shoved her head into the pancakes and snarfed them down. She looked up and saw Applebloom doing the same. The yaks ate different  
/so they looked at them odd.

Applebloom looked up and glanced at the king. He held no exception. She slowly went back to eating.

"So." Rutherford continued, letting go of his fork. "Who are your parents?"

Flurry Heart choked and looked up to face the King.

"Er…" She saw Rutherford, Randy, and Ashy Breeze looking at her.

"I… I haven't found out." She whispered softly.

"Well… That is a certin shame." Rutherford muttered.

Applebloom looked at Flurry Heart and they locked eyes.

"Are you positive you don't know." The King asked softly.

Flurry Heart looked at him and squinted her eyes. All the yaks she had seen had brown eyes. But only Rutherford and his son had those tantalizing green eyes.

Ah, his son… She could stare forever into his ey- Suddenly, the King's flashed neon green.

She gasped.

"Is there something wrong, alicorn?" Rutherford growled.

"I… Your eyes…" She whispered.

The King gave a growl and the girl wished she could take it back.

His eyes turned neon again and heard a clatter that shook her out of her trance.

"Ah' knew it!" Applebloom yelled.

"Well, you sure took your sweet time with it." Rutherford growled, standing up.

He nodded to a servant who promptly bashed the mare with a serving tray. Applebloom collapsed.

Flurry Heart used her huge wings to leap out of her chair.

The King suddenly was engulfed in green flames and Flurry Heart gasped in shock.

"You were that captain of those changelings that chased me when the camp saved me!" She creid, almost tripping going backwards. She ran to Applebloom and held her head in her hooves.

"Indeed. It was an honor seeing you but I believe we haven't made a proper introduction-"

Flurry Heart felt a tiny tug at her hair and turned to see Ashy Breeze. "Come with us!" He whispered. She turned and saw Randy hiding behind a pillar.

"Are you nuts?! How can I trust you two when that yak turned into a changeling?!" She creid softly.

"Come on!" Ashy Breeze growled, grabbing even more strands of her mane.

Flurry Heart glanced back at the captain who was demanding around some servants then back at the breezie. "Ok. But we got bring Applebloom. Help me carry her." She whispered, putting the mare's arm on her shoulder.

"We can't bring her." Ashy Breeze said softly.

"WHAT?!" Flurry Heart screeched, inraged. She often was a sweet pony but leaving somepony she cared about in the clutches of evil? That crossed the line.

The captain turned and Flurry Heart realized her mistake. As if in slow motion, he flung a silver dagger right at her head. She screamed and ducked. The dagger landed in the wooden pillar above her, inches from her head.

"The Queen does want you alive… But I just couldn't control it, I just hate you that much." The captain hissed.

"I have one reason you can go with us, we don't throw daggers at your head." Ashy Breeze growled.

Flurry Heart nodded. She flung herself up and quickly grabbed the dagger. "I promise I'll be back." She whispered to Applebloom.

She followed Ashy Breeze and saw Randy join her.

"Flurry Heart-"

"Save it." She growled

She turned to see not see the captain chasing her but instead smirking back at her in the hall. Then, she saw it. He had the unconscious Applebloom slung over his back.

"Guess I'll see you soon, princess." He said smugly.

Flurry Heart gritted her teeth. "Guess you will."

She turned and flew away after Ashy Breeze and Randy.

"You just let her go?!" A servant gasped.

"Of course. She'll be back because by tomorrow, her little resistance will be captured with this one." He slid Applebloom off and kicked her to the servant.

"Inform the rulers. Tell them that I have the alicorn child in my sights. But don't tell them I'm handling her myself, and she won't live long enough to help anypony." The captain laughed.

"Yes, Captain Thorax."

 **Just a little heads up, if you haven't seen one of the new episodes, The Times They Are a Changling" Then you should because the upcoming chapters might not make sense if you haven't seen it.**


	4. New Findings

Discord sighed as he walked into the throne room. Another boring day. His allies didn't even let him do his chaos magic! What fun was that? But they knew he wouldn't turn on them, no, he couldn't. The ponies weren't on his side because they thought he  
/had repeated his deeds from long ago. He did have some friends, but they never seemed to acknowledge him… He was also kidding himself. He just called them that to feel better. To feel like his friendship lessons had paid off. To feel he had made her  
/proud. A alarm clock suddenly rang and he snapped to take it out. It was morning, he had different duties now.

* * *

"Wake up! Come on, get up. We have a lot of ground to cover to get to the palace!"

Flurry Heart flung a snowball at Ashy Breeze and he landed with a thud.

"Wow. Do you think Equestria wants their princess to be a immature little kid?" The breezie huffed.

The girl jolted awake and stared at him.

"Wait… You're talking about me?"

"Duh, I'm talking about you." Ashy Breeze sighed.

"B-but… Me? A princess?" Flurry Heart asked.

"You're right, we shouldn't dwell on it long. Right now we need to focus on our plan to take down the villains." Ashy whispered.

"We need to find shelter before that, and food." Randy yawned, sitting up.

They had only found a crumbly cave to sleep in and had hadn't found anything to eat. They had traveled all night too.

Randy walked up to Flurry Heart and sat down. She got up and went to the mouth of the cave.

"Where are you going?" Randy asked.

"I just… Need some air." She muttered.

The girl sat outside in the snow and wind, listening to the wind howl.

"Flurry Heart?" Randy called

"What?"

"Do you… Think I'm one of them?"

She paused. Changelings… Did she?

"I don't know."

They were silent.

"I see." Randy whispered.

The alicorn sighed softly, hearing the wind whistling in her ears.

* * *

Flurry Heart walked with her cloak wrapped around her. Randy walked beside her with Ashy Breeze floating behind them. They didn't speak. The alicorn gave away a sigh.

"I hope we find your friend." Randy whispered.

The girl looked up at him.

"Me too… I hope the camp's alright…" She sighed.

Then, something caught her eye. A sort of light.

"You seem close with this camp, why?" Randy turned to see Flurry Heart almost in a trance, walking to a light.

"Flurry?" The yak prince asked, going after her.

Ashy Breeze saw the girl touch the light and she gasped in suprise as the world faded around her. In front of her now was a glittering palace. She felt odd, like she needed to be there.

She flew absentmindedly to it in moments with her huge wings.

Going inside, she saw the rooms had snow and ice in it. She felt attracted to one room in particular though and when she opened it, she saw somthing suprising.

This room wasn't a guest room like many of the others, it was a nursery for a baby girl, a room fit for a princess.

Stepping forward, she saw the crib.

The crib…. Wasn't what she expected. It wasn't made of jewels or glass or anything like that. One of those seemed to be pushed away in the corner. This one how ever was made of tree bark and had a covering with little red apples on it. But why apples?It  
/had a white fringe around it and inside was a white blanket the color of snow with little purple hoof shoes that were a border. The girl saw tucked in to it wasn't a baby but a cuddly little plush bunny. She looked up and saw touching her mane was  
/a mobile it had little clouds with lightning bolts and rainbows hanging from it. She touched them and they gave a slight tinkle touching each other. Flurry Heart was pondering all these strange things when she heard a thud.

She turned to see a large, rectangle book on the ground. She walked forward and picked it up.

She read the title: -'s Heartfelt Scrapbook

She squinted her eyes. Why was there a blank? The girl looked around to see if anypony saw her then noticed a single picture of a very light pink baby with blue eyes. She had a pink, purple mane with a streak of blue. She had humongous wings and a big  
/horn. The thing was… It looked exactly like her.

The first page said in the middle, "The Royal Wedding". The page was a mess of pictures and felt.

Her brain felt puzzled when she saw a picture of a grand castle. It had grass and flowers and dirt roads surrounding it.

Where was the snow? Where was… Nothing?

Then she saw something that made her forget that immediately. It was two pictures, one was labeled your mom, the other, your dad.

If that baby was her, if this book belonged to her then these ponies would be her parents.

They were beautiful. She recognized her own blue eyes and streaks of blue hair in the white unicorn and her coat and the rest of her mane belonged to that alicorn. The one she had seen before!

The girl held back a squee in her new knowledge.

"That will help you, you know." Said a gentle voice.

Flurry Heart gasped and turned to face the alicorn from the picture.

"It's you! You're my-"

"I know, Flurry Heart. But I must tell you this information before I'm forced to go. You must go to a place called Ponyville. It shall lead you to where you need to go next." The alicorn said.

"Ponyville.." Flurry Heart whispered softly, trying not to forget. She clenched the book tighter in her magic.

She looked up and saw that the mare was gone and so was the palace and the nursery, her nursery.

* * *

Applebloom awoke with a pain in her head. She grunted softly. The mare sat up and looked around to find herself in a jail cell.

She gave a gasp with remembering what had happened.

"Well, I see you're up." Chuckled a dark voice.

Applebloom turned to see Lord Tirek sitting in the corner of the room outside.

"You!" Applebloom yelled, running to the bars.

"Where is she?!" She growled.

"Hm….. Who would you be referring to?" Tireck asked calmly.

"You know who!" Applebloom creid.

"Hm… Do I? Equestria's a big place, girl, there are many, many ponies. Even narrowing it down to your set of familiars is hard."

"What do ya' mean?!" Applebloom growled.

"You could be referring to your friends, the young ladies we have all locked up tight. Or-" Tirek was interrupted.

"No! You couldn't have found Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle!" The mare gasped.

Tirek gave a low chuckle. "Ah, I wish it to be true, little pony but rest assured, we haven't found them unless of course, you would be so kind as to maybe tell us?"

"Ah've never heard such stupidness in mah' whole life." Applebloom hissed.

"In time… You'll give in. But you don't exactly matter to us now. No, with you locked up, your friends will give up that resistance. So with that out of the way, the alicorn girl is all that matters." Tirek laughed.

"Ah' don't know where she is. I could remember if one of your lackies hadn't hit me with a serving tray and knocked me out."

"Sorry, but you wouldn't cooperate with us any other way."

Applebloom laughed. "Please! I'm not exactly going to help you now."

"I know, my dear. That is why we're going to break you down and break that hideous determination your whole family posed…. Until they all died without telling me anything about your camp. They were all very useless."

Applebloom felt her blood boil and wretched out a scream of rage. She tried to bang herself against the bars but Tirek's magic held her fast.

"Such nobility… Yet… You were too young to be part of this war."

Applebloom's choked pain barely made it out of the hall because she had to stay strong. Even when her power was drained away.

* * *

 **What a plot twist! Sorry these are slow recently. With summer over, and the fact that I never hold back my story ideas, it's been a bit harder.**


	5. The Ponies Who Love us

"Why are we going to Ponyville? Ponyville of all places? I mean we could go to Canterlot or Maris or-"

"Do you have a grudge against Ponyville?" Randy chuckled. Ashy Breeze snorted and they continued walking.

"I wonder why my mother told me to go there, it's awfully strange." Flurry Heart murmured, using her magic to hold out her scrapbook of events.

"I know her!" The girl suddenly creid, making the rest of them jump.

She thrust the book in Randy's face.

"Look! That pony right there!" Flurry said, pointing to a picture of the changeling Queen being hurled away.

"What do you mean, you know her?" Ashy asked, flying up.

"Well, I don't know her name but I saw her before, in a dream." Flurry Heart said.

"Her name is Chrysalis and, news flash! She wants you dead!"

"But why would she want Flurry Heart dead? I mean, she's an alicorn but a small one, it's not like she could hurt somepony…." Randy trailed off remembering her outburst at both her rescue and that breakfast.

"Not only her. King Sombra and Lord Tirek want you gone too." Ashy mumbled.

"What about the creepy draconequus?" Flurry Heart asked.

The two turned to her. "What's a draconequus?" Randy wondered.

"How did you know what he was a draconequus?" The breezie asked.

"What's his name?"

"Discord… His name is Discord and h-he just might help you." Ashy Breeze whispered, flying ahead.

Flurry Heart and Randy looked at each other, blushed then ran after him.

"B-but, why can't we just make a agreement? You know, I won't rule if they rule wisely, build the kingdom back…" Flurry Heart whispered, trying to catch her breath.

"You gotta be kidding me." Ashy Breeze groaned.

"Why would I be?" Flurry Heart asked, a little disappointed her plan might not work.

"You silly alicorn princesses, the lot of you always think alike. "The peaceful solution will be the best for the whole of Equestria." He mimicked somepony that Flurry Heart realized she did not know.

"You'll end up dead, princess. That's where peaceful solutions get you."

"Oh, where are they?!" Sombra yelled, getting impatient.

Tirek rolled his eyes. "They are taking forever." He muttered.

Chrysalis wasn't paying attention but rather looking at Discord. He hadn't talked much, then again, he never did but this was so odd.

The doors opened and a changeling came in dragging Applebloom behind him. Her eyes were red and bloodshot, her mane was a mess. Her pink bow had been ripped from her even though it was the only thing to remind her of her family that had been killed by  
these monsters. Her three battle scars were still ever present. But the most notable thing about her appearance was the lack of her cutie mark. Tirek had stolen her magic.

"Captain Thorax, what a surprise. I thought you were never coming back." Hissed Chrysalis.

Thorax looked up. "I'm sorry, my queen, she put up quite a fight."

"So, how do you feel after your treatment today?" Sombra asked Applebloom.

"Ah' have nothing to say to ya'!" Applebloom growled.

"Wow. How very different of you to say." Chrysalis murmured.

"Why do y'all want the camp?" Applebloom asked, trying to stall.

"Because, your settlement could rise up any moment with the leadership the rest of your trio and the alicorn. Besides, where could her highness go but to us when she realizes that all her precious friends will be here?"

"I'm never telling you where they are." The young mare grunted.

"You know, I knew a young lady just like you once." Tirek whispered.

"She thought she was so very brave and smart and nobile, just like you. But she was weak, and ignorant child who thought the magic of friendship would save her!"

Applebloom narrowed her eyes. "Twilight. Princess Twilight Sparkle. That's the one. She beat you."

"Why you little-" Tirek started before Chrysalis waved him off.

"So what? That princess is dead. Old news. Besides, you are a completely different story, aren't you dear?" The queen cooed.

"What are you saying?" Applebloom growled.

"You are going to tell us where the rebel camp is or your little friend will face our… Disappointment." Sombra said.

A changeling guard came in and was dragging behind him a young colt. He was orange with a purple mane and Applebloom knew him well.

"Tender Taps?" Applebloom whispered weakly.

Captain Thorax of the changeling guard had snuck away while Applebloom had been questioned and had escaped to his personal chambers.

He pulled out a musty and yellowing paper from under his bed and picked up a gnarled pencil. He started scribbling, drawing a picture. When he stopped, it was a detailed picture of a certain pony.

It was of a young filly in a flowing light gold gown and her long mane held back by a golden headband looking up at the crystal heart above her.

Thorax gave a sigh and put it under his bed again.

He turned to a crystal ball and flinched. He hated the fact that any moment, somepony could come in and see the queen's stolen device.

Thorax walked up and it lit.

"Show me the little alicorn…" He whispered to it.

It faded to a scene of the young girl flying up a hill and Randy chasing after her.

Thorax heard Flurry Heart's giggle as she pushed Randy down playfully. He growled.

"You don't deserve to rule, Princess, you never did and I'll make sure you never get the opportunity to."

They had finally made it, to Ponyville, but as Flurry Heart flew over the hill, she saw nothing but snow and ice.

"No." She whispered.

The filly bolted to the ground and looked to the distance, finding it really buried in snow.

"No, no, no!" She yelled.

Randy had caught up to her and saw the sight.

"There's nothing….." He murrmered.

Ashy Breeze looked at Flurry Heart. "I'm sorry, I guess it was all a drea-"

"This isn't a dream! I can feel this!" Flurry Heart creid, showing the scrapbook with her shaking magic.

Randy nodded. "But the villains got here before us, we can't do anything but go with the original plan." He said, putting a comforting hoof on her shoulder.

"B-but my family…." She said weakly.

"I know but right now, the ponies and creatures need you to be strong and will be your family once you take back leadership."

The girl was silent, tears still going down her face.

"No. I shall not settle for that!" She suddenly boomed.

Randy jumped and watched her eyes turn pure white.

The alicorn used her massive wings to fly in the air, creating whirlwinds behind her.

Her horn lit with gold magic that surrounded the snow in front of her that went miles deep. With fury in her eyes, she made a choking sound with all the snow she had picked up and slammed down on the ground, causing it to rumble. The snow vanished with  
empact and the town of Ponyville was uncovered.

Applebloom meanwhile had raced to her friend and he tried to hug her but his bonds prevented it.

The mare saw a limp in his leg and she gave a little sob.

"T-they hurt you?" She whispered.

Tender Taps nuzzled her. "Applebloom, thank Celestia you're alright!" He creid.

Applebloom got away and looked to the villains with anger. "You hurt him!" She yelled.

"Yes, and we will hurt him even more when we kill him." Tirek laughed.

Tender Taps and Applebloom gasped and the mare slowly looked to the stallion.

"Applebloom, whatever they want from you, don't tell them, okay?" He whispered.

The mare hesitated and gave a short, pained laugh. "But they're going to kill you-"

Tender Taps suddenly thrust himself forward and kissed her. Applebloom was surprised and knew this wouldn't last long but she gave away and kissed him back, blushing.

"Ah, the power of true love, do you think that will save you?" Chrysalis laughed.

Tender Taps suddenly was torn out of thier kiss and Applebloom gave a cry as he was flown over to the villains with Tirek's magic.

"Hm, sorry, dear, but I just hate when my enemies feel hopeful." Tirek said, Tender Taps struggling beside him.

"What are you going to do to him?" Applebloom growled.

"Nothing, if you tell us where your camp is." Sombra reminded her.

The mare looked into Tender's violet eyes and saw he didn't want her to give in.

She nodded.

"I'm not telling." Applebloom said, failing to keep the shaking out of her voice.

"You're not…" Tirek murmured, sending a chill down Applebloom's spine.

The mare gave a firm grunt.

"Oh, so I see." Tirek said.

Tender Taps suddenly started to choke and cough, gasping for air.

Applebloom held back her scream to stop but only because of his strong violet eyes, they were so strong and brave and determined, that would keep her going.

The only sight she could see was his eyes. This is what would keep her on this world, only his eyes.

But the strength suddenly faded as they flickered with pain and started to dull.

"No…" Applebloom choked.

Tirek saw her fear and knew he had put the key in the hard to get lock.

"Well, this is taking too long." He yawned.

Tender Taps met the mare's eyes, both had tears. He moved his lips to form a "Don't."

Applebloom bit back her urge to start screaming as Tirek was about to kill him.

The centaur was so very close to shutting his fist and ending Tender Tap's life.

The stallion drew his last breath and Tirek slammed his fist on his throne.

"STOP!" Applebloom finally shrieked then collapsed to the ground. Tirek let go and Tender Taps breathed hard for air as he staggered up to his love.

"Never do that… Again." Applebloom whispered sharply, looking at Tirek.

"Never will, if you answer me… Where are your little friends?"

"Okay…" she said weakly, holding back tears .

"I'll tell you."

A few minutes later, Sweetie Belle had finally let her hair down from it's usual tight bun and was brushing her pink and purple curls. She glanced over at Scootaloo who was sitting on her bed theirs and Applebloom's room

Scootaloo had taken off her fake, mechanical wings and fluttered her own tiny ones. She turned the wings over and over again.

"What's the matter?" Sweetie Belle asked in her high voice.

Scootaloo sighed and shrugged. "Nothing, Sweetie…"

Sweetie Belle grinned mischievously.

"Come on!" She giggled.

They both flinched at her laugh. They hadn't heard one of those since Flurry Heart and Applebloom left.

"Tell me right now." Sweetie said, plopping down next to her.

The mare used her green magic to lift up a water puddle and turn it to ice, showing Scootaloo's reflection. "Now try to tell me that's the face of confusion right there."

Scootaloo sighed, putting down her wings.

"I just… Wonder if I'm making Rainbow Dash proud or not. I mean, Applebloom's so smart, clever and brave, and you… You're so pretty, Sweetie Belle and Princess Twilight taught you all she knew, everything! You're now a magic legend. And then there's  
me. I can't even fly."

"You gotta be kidding me!" Sweetie Belle laughed.

Scootaloo looked at her. "No. I'm not."

"When we were twelve, I couldn't hold on to my protection shield on the town any longer and Applebloom went to support me. My magic couldn't carry on and Applebloom couldn't think straight with all her stress so you were the one that rallied up Ponyville  
when it was falling, I think that's pretty impressive." Sweetie Belle said.

"Is that what I should have done though? Is that what Ra-"

"Look in this mirror." Sweetie Belle demanded.

Scootaloo looked and saw herself vanish in the ice and was replaced with her sister's, Rainbow Dash's face.

"How-"

"Magic." Sweetie Belle whispered.

Scootaloo was staring at the reflection when Sweetie Belle continued.

"But it's an illusion."

Scootaloo slowly turned away from the mirror.

"You aren't Rainbow. You're you and that's the better then most."

Scootaloo bit her lip. "But what about Rarity? How do you know if you're making her proud?"

Sweetie Belle looked in the ice and saw her perfect pure face look back, she was absolutely beyond beautiful, just like her sister had been. Her jade green eyes dimmed a little. "I'm a pretty face… Just like she want… I think."

"Sweets, the ponies who love you know you're more then a pretty face." Scootaloo said, putting a hoof on her shoulder.

There was a sudden jolt in Sweetie Belle's mind and she leapt up.

Scootaloo raised her eyebrows.

"What is it?"

"I… It's nothing." The unicorn tried to remain calm but was failing.

There was a sudden slam on the door and they jumped.

The door flung open and in came the changeling captain, Thorax.

"I'm sorry, I have to, I don't hate the ponies just-" He started.

Scootaloo let out a battle cry and ran to him. Sweetie Belle slammed her hooves down and her magic encircled the room. Thorax snarled at the pain and shoved Scootaloo off him. Sweetie Belle ran to her.

"Are you okay?" She creid.

Scootaloo nodded then her eyes widened.

"Watch!" She started.

"Out." Thorax whispered as his spell knocked Sweetie Belle out, leaving her sprawled on the floor.

"How did you find us?" Scootaloo growled, checking on her friend.

The changeling looked to the mare with interest. "I don't want to hurt you both. But you two are the most precious things to that alicorn and when I lure her to me, after she's dead, we'll all be friends."

Scootaloo let out a snort. "Friends? Friends?! Why would we be friends when you want to destroy the true heir to the throne?!"

Thorax looked between her and Sweetie Belle. "You'll see. She is too young, naive, and stupid, don't you get that?" He whispered.

"No." Scootaloo said. "What do you really want?"

"I want her gone so she can't ruin everything." 


	6. Exploration and Explanation

"This is beautiful!" Flurry Heart cried, looking around Ponyville after flying down.

"Yeah… It's weird. I've never seen this much life in the world before…" Randy said.

"Mm, it smells nice too…" Flurry Heart sighed.

"It's flowers, I haven't smelled those in years." Ashy Breeze whispered.

The group decided to split up for a few minutes to find the thing Flurry Heart needed to continue.

* * *

Ashy Breeze had flown far away, to the edge of town and stopped at a small cottage.

The door creaked and he entered.

The room was dark and wet but one simple green couch, or he knew it was when it was dry. The breezie hovered over it slightly before plopping down. Using his magic, he became his true form, but it wasn't a changeling.

* * *

Sweetie Belle awoke and found herself  
With a rope around her neck, tied to a tree, horn covered in green goo.

The mare felt fear trickle in her and remembered.

The camp… Changelings must have taken the camp back to the villains. But why was she here? Why wasn't she with the rest?

"Good. You've woken up." Snarled a voice.

The mare turned and saw Thorax, staring at her.

"You! Where's Scootaloo and the rest of the camp?!" She cried.

"I didn't do anything with anypony else but you two… So…Are you okay?"

The unicorn narrowed her eyes.

The captain sighed and walked up to her.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you or the flightless one. We're going to Ponyville and having a little chat with the alicorn child. Then, I won't have to worry about my life being ruined by her." He said, holding the mare's chin.

Sweetie Belle tore away in disgust. "Why do you think she'll ruin your life? She's just a little kid. You have no idea if that wil-"

"I do have an idea! If it helps, I sent Scootaloo to get the rest of your camp, you welcome!" Thorax yelled.

"No… You're a changeling! You're evil!" The unicorn cried.

"How do you know I'm evil?!" Thorax growled.

"Because I had to be an orphan after changelings destroyed our town and my parents! Twelve years of fear a-and suffering made me know changelings are evil!" Sweetie finally yelled, it echoing around them.

Thorax face softened a bit.

Sweetie Belle saw him suddenly unsheathe a knife.

She gasped and instinctively backed into the tree.

The girl heard the rope cut and immediately ran.

"Wait!" Thorax yelled.

The unicorn kept running when she bumped into somepony.

Sweetie Belle saw the familiar orange coat and sighed with relief.

"Scootaloo…" She whispered, standing up.

But she met the pegasus's neon green eyes looking empty and staring through her.

"Scootaloo?" She whispered, touching the mare's face.

There was no change in her vacant expression.

"You can't escape…" Thorax growled behind her.

Sweetie Belle turned slowly to face him.

"What have you done to her?!" Sweetie Belle cried.

Thorax looked confused then saw Scootaloo's eyes that looked so empty and unchanging.

"I didn't do that…" He whispered, confused.

""Likely story!" Sweetie Belle growled, trying to shield her friend from him.

"I-I wouldn't hurt anypony like that!" Thorax yelled in anger at the unicorn.

The mare stood her ground though. "Ha! As if I'd believe you-"

"We are friends!" Thorax yelled back.

"Why do you keep thinking that-"

"Make them shut up." Growled a familiar voice.

Sweetie Belle gave a cry as Scootaloo grabbed her and covered her mouth.

The unicorn turned to see her friend. Scootaloo looked forward still, not seeing her through the mind control.

"Leave Scootaloo alone!" Thorax yelled.

The mare watched in horror as Chrysalis flew between her and the changeling.

"Leave her alone? That girl may have been useless without the ability to fly before but now, she has proven she's quite strong and very easy to suck the love out of. Just one look at that element of loyalty and her whole being was mine to control.  
You really shouldn't have sent her off on her own, Captain."

"No. She escaped me." Thorax retaliated.

"Hm… I've known you since you were a child. You used to ramble on and on about friendship but when the Empire left, you finally snuffed that light out, so I thought. But I know now that you let nopony get in your way to destroy that princess."

"So the only reason you would send her out is to save the ponies," Chrysalis said, pointing the Scootaloo.

"And you kept the other girl to scare the brat into giving herself up." The queen said, nodding to the furious Sweetie Belle.

"I-I just… But how?" Thorax whispered, trying to think of an excuse.

"Ha. I knew it! And nothing goes on in my kingdom without my knowledge." The queen laughed.

"You, follow me and take the mare with you." She growled to Scootaloo.

The girl let go of Sweetie Belle and then grabbed the rope still around her neck.

"Scootaloo… Please wake up…." Sweetie Belle whispered weakly, her frozen tear shattered on the ground.

* * *

Randy and Flurry Heart decided to stick together, as they always did. The two had become very good friends.

Flurry Heart gasped in wonder suddenly and pointed up at the giant castle in front of her.

"Look at it! It's like the Crystal Empire's but… But a tree!" She squealed.

She pulled the huge doors open with Randy's help and slipped in.

"Look at all this…" She breathed.

Randy went in and looked around. He turned to something and walked to it.

Flurry Heart hadn't noticed though and opened yet another set of doors.

It was a gorgeous throne room and she gasped, seeing a round table and seven thrones.

The alicorn walked up to the glowing table and touched it.

The table suddenly pulled up a hologram of the whole map of Equestria, covered in snow.

"Whoa…" She whispered.

The alicorn suddenly broke from her trance at a cough in the doorway.

"That throne isn't yours, my dear." Said the voice.

Flurry Heart saw that she had sat down on a throne a pink star on it and turned to the door.

A creature was leaned against the door, looking at the girl.

"D-discord…." She choked out.

"Yes?" The draconequus whispered.

The girl was frozen in fear and was shaking a little.

"Do you think Equestria wants their princess to be a immature little kid?" Discord laughed for the first time in years and something hit Flurry Heart.

Princess. He knew she was going to have to rule and said the same thing Ashy Breeze said.

"No…" She growled, looking up.

"No! No! No! H-have you been lying to us?! You! You were Ashy Breeze, weren't you?!" She cried, it all rushing in.

"What are yo-" Discord stopped when he saw he was indeed caught.

"Fine… It's true. Ashy Breeze never existed, it was all me."

"So that's why you didn't want me to come here! You didn't want me to find this castle!" The girl yelled, enraged.

"No! No! I just…. It's painful…"

Flurry Heart stuttered for a minute before going silent.

"Y-you're not lying?"

Discord sighed. "At first, I did as I was told. I had snuck out and disguised myself as a breezie and told Randy when they were setting up the trap-"

"Trap?!" The pony yelled.

"I'll get to it later! But I told Randy to find you and convince you to come with us without Applebloom because… Because…"

Flurry Heart narrowed her eyes then saw something he had been trying to hide.

"You gave her those scars!" She bellowed in anger, pointing at his eagle claw.

"The villains would kill me, they needed proof I would stay loyal and I've been doing their bidding since… A few days ago when I met you!" Discord struggled out.

"I don't want any help! I'm getting Randy and we're leaving!" Flurry Heart yelled, standing up and pushing past him.

"You're going to die without me!" Discord growled.

The girl stopped and turned.

"No matter how hard you try, they'll always find you and your loved ones." The draconequus continued.

"I will protect the ponies I care for, no matter what." The girl whispered.

"By hiding some more?!" Discord laughed, still angry.

"I am not hiding!" Flurry Heart screamed, her eyes turning pure white with rage.

The alicorn was about to snap when she heard a yell.

"Flurry Heart! There you are…." Randy trailed off at the sight of Discord.

"Er… I can explain all of this…" Discord whispered.

Randy slowly looked at Flurry Heart, mouth still open.

The girl just shook her head to say, "I can't explain this."

"Listen, I'll prove I can help." Discord said, still trying.

He used his magic to bring Flurry Heart's scrapbook to him that she had read all the way there.

"Here, look here." He said, opening it to a page with six glowing stones.

"Those are pretty… I guess…" Randy whispered. "But how does it help?"

"The elements of harmony. If we find their new bearers, we actually might have a chance." Discord muttered.

"You're just now telling us this?! We could have used that information earlier!" Flurry Heart growled in anger.

"You alicorns…. You always do that!" Discord snarled.

The princess gasped.

"They're all gone now…"

They were silent for a moment before they heard a soft knock.

The princess turned and flew to the door.

"Wait!" Randy yelled, running to her.

Flurry Heart blushed as he slid in front of her.

"I'm not letting some villains take you away, you hear?" The yak asked.

"I… Thank you…." Flurry Heart whispered, feeling her heart swell. She thought she knew that feeling… But she was correct at what it was? So hard…

They heard the knock again, louder.

The two jumped before Randy opened it.

Flurry Heart gasped as Scootaloo fell into the room.

"Scootaloo! Oh my goodness!" The alicorn squeaked.

Scootaloo stood and looked into her eyes.

Her unnatural neon green eyes meet the princess's sky blue eyes.

"Are you… Okay?" Flurry Heart whispered, backing away a little, frightened.

Scootaloo stared at the girl, unblinking.

"Yes…." She said in a dull voice.

The alicorn bit her lip and Randy looked between them.

"Who is she?"

Flurry Heart lit up her horn, a little sad.

"She's not my friend… Something's wrong…" She was about to cast her spell when a screech filled her ears.

"NO!" Sweetie Belle sobbed, transporting herself in front of Scootaloo who still looked forward.

"Sweetie Belle?! W-what's going on?" The alicorn cried.

Discord had just run in at the commotion and Sweetie Belle turned even paler than her already snow white coat.

"I-I don't know what's going on anymore…" She whispered.

Suddenly, Scootaloo walked swiftly past her.

"Scootaloo! No, don't listen to her!" The unicorn cried, tackling her friend to the ground.

Flurry Heart gasped in surprise and Randy stepped in front of her, guarding her.

Sweetie Belle squeaked when Scootaloo threw her off. The unicorn slammed into the wall and felt herself leave conscious.

"What a brat. She ruined our surprise." Laughed a dark voice.

Flurry Heart gasped and looked around with the others.

"Wh-" The alicorn started when Scootaloo grabbed her.

Flurry Heart gave a strangled scream as the pegasus covered her mouth.

"Flurry Heart!" Randy yelled when suddenly a cage surrounded him.

Discord tried to run also but dark crystal encased his claws.

Flurry Heart felt her horrors come true as the villains from her nightmares appeared.

"So good to finally see you, little princess." Chrysalis hissed. 


	7. Where Are we Going

Out of all the frightening things the alicorn had seen, the Everfree forest was on her top five. The girl tripped over a branch and landed on the hard ground with a grunt.

Randy, Thorax and Sweetie Belle turned to her and Tirek pulled on the chain that he had on her, lifting her back up. The chain that prevented her magic.

Sweetie Belle had a simple rope tied to her because her friend Scootaloo could be killed at anytime, even by her own doing.

"Are you okay?" She whispered to the princess once she had caught up and they were walking again.

"I suppose." Flurry Heart answered bluntly.

Thorax glanced between the two and turned when the younger caught him watching.

Flurry Heart couldn't even look at that changling. The one that wanted to destroy her. She had no idea why he was here but planned to keep her distance.

"If you don't mind, where are we going?!" Flurry Heart growled to the villains behind her.

"That would ruin the surprise, wouldn't it?" Sombra said in a dark voice.

The alicorn narrowed her eyes in frustration.

Scootaloo in her mind only knew she had to do what her master said and the world was all white but there was also another faint, very faint voice calling to her. The hypnotized mare heard the other's voice not often, as if it had started to give up on  
her but every time after there was a flash of color and then a chorus of little giggles of joy that Scootaloo somehow recognized. But deeper down then she could know, she wanted to wake up and see that sweet, lonely voice.

* * *

Applebloom sat all alone in her cell but called out a name.

"Tender Taps!" She cried, her voice filled with grief.

There was no response.

"Tender Taps?" She asked.

There was a sudden clatter and she looked up.

A young brown earth pony with a short light red mane had dropped a tray and was staring at her.  
Applebloom felt her heart throb at the sight.

"B-babs…" She whispered softly.

The cousins cried in relief and the other ran to the bars.

"Cous'!" Babs breathed, using her nickname for Applebloom.

The cousins touched hooves and Applebloom suddenly saw a memory she recognized. It was when she, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle had first met Babs, on a train. The mares gasped.

"D-did you-" Applebloom whispered.

"Uh huh…" Babs murmured.

After a few seconds later, they rushed out questions to one another.

"How're the other cmc? We've been trying to free everypony I could but those girls aren't there!" Babs whispered.

"You and who else?" Applebloom asked, raising a eyebrow.

"You know Diamond Tiara, don't ya? She said something about changing your destiny's when you were young so I trusted her." Babs answered.

"Diamond Tiara's here too?!" Applebloom gasped. Babs nodded.

"How did you two get out of your cells?" The mare asked.

Babs didn't say anything but took out a ring of keys.

"B-Babs…" Applebloom whispered, looking at the mare unlocking the cell.

"Babs. How did you get those?!" She snapped.

"They told me they'd keep my big sis' alive. When they didn't… They questioned me on your girls location but I'm no rat. So they made me work here. They forced Diamond to." Babs sighed, opening the door.

"What about Silver Spoon, where's she?" Applebloom asked, stepping out.

Babs sighed. "They needed someone to insure that Diamond would stay…"

Applebloom didn't need to hear anymore.

As the two snuck down the corridor, a dark shadow crawled towards them. The girls backed away slowly when it's owner came.

It was a young griffon about their age.

"Gabby, is everypony out?" Babs asked.

The griffin nodded. "Everypony is!" She cried.

Applebloom cocked her head. Weren't griffons supposed to be cranky?

She felt drawn to this creature though like she had been drawn to Tender Taps almost the moment after her sister was gone. As if their time together was to happen in a different place but it had been cut short.

"Er, hi. My name is Gabriella but you can call me Gabby." The griffon giggled cheerfully.

Applebloom smiled weakly and they shook.

The moment they touched though, Applebloom got flashes of scenes that hadn't even happened.

"I'm getting my cutie mark!" A much younger Gabby squealed, flying off. Seven year old Sweetie Belle looked at Scootaloo and Applebloom herself.

"What she wants, it's not possible." She squeaked.

They flashed forward to the cmc putting a wooden cutie mark that looked identical to theirs on her saddle bag.

"Wait… Does this mean," Gabby whispered.

The mare and griffon parted in shock.

"D-did you… See that?" Applebloom breathed.

Gabby hesitantly nodded.

"What were we supposed to see?" Babs asked.

Applebloom shook her head.

"We gotta go. I have absolutely no idea where my friends are." She sighed.

"Oh, you're okay!" A mare squealed.

Applebloom gasped and felt Diamond Tiara hug her from behind.

"S-so are you!" Applebloom laughed.

The girl turned and hugged her. There was yet another memory and she remembered when Diamond Tiara had stood up for the cmc when her mother had upright been a villain and criticized them for not having cutie marks. Diamond then had said they were  
friends. Applebloom remembered both the shock and accomplishment she had felt that time, even more so later.

"What the hay…" She muttered under her breath.

"This is weird…" Diamond whispered, looking at the other mares.

"Applebloom!" Tender Taps cried, running in.

The couple hugged as they had many times before he had been captured by evil.

She heard her friends giggle and blushed.

"You two are adorable!" Diamond creid.

Tender gave a nervous laugh and slowly backed away from Applebloom.

"Aw… Show's over…" Gabby sighed, letting the other two to stifle back laughs.

"Applebloom sighed but smiled weakly at the three girls before her. "I-I just can't believe you're all here and what you've all done for my camp… All I can honestly say is, thank you…"

The girls gathered in for a group hug but each had the same vision.

They saw Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle walking, the unicorn tied up.

Sweetie Belle was obviously trapped with her friend not hearing her.

But the important thing was where they were.

The girls looked at each other in shock but now knew where they need to go.

* * *

They had been walking for a few minutes and Flurry Heart was bored.

The alicorn turned to face Randy.

"What's your favorite color?" She whispered softly as the wind.

"What?" Randy asked, confused.

"Your favorite color, what is it? We haven't gotten to know each other very well, we've only been traveling and… Laughing, and blushing at each other…" The princess trailed off and blushed as she always did around him.

"But the villains-" Randy started.

"Can't hear us. Sweetie Belle secretly created an invisible bubble of silence so we can talk." Flurry Heart giggled, winking at Sweetie Belle a bit away.

The unicorn didn't notice but was looking at Scootaloo, praying she'd come back.

"Hm… My favorite color is… Gold."

Flurry Heart giggled. "Gold?! You really are a prince!"

"Well, princess, what's your favorite color?" Randy asked, looking at her.

"Hm… I like green. Like a forest. We don't see those anymore…" And it was like his beautiful eyes…

"Hm. How do you know all those spells?"

Flurry Heart blinked. "What?"

"You say you woke up a couple months ago, not knowing your name or your family, yet you know how to walk, talk, fly and cast the most powerful spells I've ever seen, how do you know that?"

The alicorn hadn't thought of that.

"I… I don't know…"

Randy saw it bothered her and moved on.

"So… Do you want to know why I never told you about my father being impersonated by a changeling until you figured it out?"

The girl nodded.

They were interrupted by a dark voice.

"Here we are." Chrysalis said.

The children's silence bubble broke in Sweetie Belle's shock of where they were.

It was the tree of harmony.

* * *

 **I have recently watched the season six finale and it killed this universe! But since none of that would have happened before the season six premiere… Yes! Take that! But I did love the finale… It was amazing and really helped with my idea of the changeling kingdom. I know now that no pony can use their magic and I know about the weird changing tunnels…. The episode also made writing this a headache so I might need some time with updates. Thanks! P.s, I was praying to the heavens not to make Starlight a princess and thank goodness they didn't or I would be so angry.**


	8. Elements of Harmony

Discord, Thorax, Randy, Sweetie Belle, and Flurry Heart were mortified and all had a pretty good idea what was to happen.

"Now that we're here, we have work to do destroying them and all!" Tirek said.

The villain reached out his hand to take the element of magic from its resting place but something sent him rushing off.

The rest gasped and looked at the tree.

Sweetie Belle finally felt able to rip away from her rope in this distraction.

She used her magic to make it vanish.

"Whatever you plan to do with the elements, I won't let you! My sister and the princess and all their friends gave up the elements to keep peace! I'm not letting you take them!" She cried.

Chrysalis gave a chuckle.

Sweetie Belle inhaled and her cheeks grew pink in furry.

The unicorn cast a spell that melted away the others chains, they were free to help her.

"I think a alicorn's power and the most powerful unicorn since Twilight Sparkle should be enough to defeat you, no?" The little alicorn laughed.

The villans' eyes burned with hatred.

Discord sneaked quickly behind a rock and sighed.

"I can't just leave them…. Well I could but…" He glanced back at the scene. Sweetie Belle was doing absolutely fine on her own, firing spells and creating shields around her friends. Flurry Heart was backing away with Randy trying to protect  
her and seemed to be concentrating on doing something.

Discord then saw the gold magic aura around the element of magic. She couldn't get that out. Even if she did, she couldn't use it.

Discord snapped his claw and reversed his curse he had put on the tree so long ago so if ever needed, the elements could be retrieved once again.

Sweetie Belle heard Flurry Heart exsughsted grunt and turned. The villans were fighting her still and both the princess and queen were trying to get the element.

"Flurry Heart! Cover me!" Sweetie Belle called, sliding smoothly from defending the tree.

"Got it!" The alicorn cried, grabbing Randy's hoof and pulling him with her.

Thorax turned to see Sweetie Belle's light green magic incircle the elements.

"No!" He yelled.

Sweetie Belle gasped and looked at him. The element surprising moved with little effort and started to float forward.

"What?! This is for all Equstria-" She started when she saw Scootaloo walking to a nearby cliff.

"Scootaloo…" She whispered.

The unicorn looked at the changeling queen who smirked tauntingly.

"Let go of the element and she stays safe, don't and Equestria stays safe…. Hm, what to choose…"

Flurry Heart gasped and looked at Sweetie Belle. "W-what should we do?!"

The older made a little noise with her conflicted mind.

Her magic weakened slightly.

"You would think she'd make up her mind already!" Sombra laughed.

"Sweetie Belle! Don't let go! We gotta save Equestria!" The young alicorn said.

"WHAT?! What about Scootaloo?!" Sweetie Belle squealed.

Flurry Heart looked at the peguses going closer to the cliff.

"I-I don't know!" The princess whispered, tears in her eyes.

"Tick tock, ladies!" Tirek hissed.

"If we don't do this, if the elements are destroyed, all light in Equstria w-will be lost in a dark cloud!" Flurry Heart sobbed.

"Princess Twilight wouldn't let her friends die! My sister wouldn't!" Sweetie Belle yelled, angry.

Flurry Heart narrowed her eyes.

Sweetie Belle's magic released the element but Flurry Heart stopped it.

Suddenly, a beam hit her. Flurry Heart screamed in pain and fell to the ground. The alicorn looked back at Sweetie Belle who looked horrified at what she had done.

"Flurry Heart… I didn't know what I was doing… I'm sorry!" She whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.

The element of magic was consumed by Sombra's dark magic.

Sweetie Belle cried out and grabbed her head.

"What have you done?!" Flurry Heart gasped, running to her.

"I-I don't know… But at least Scootaloo's safe…" The other girl murmured.

"Hm…" Tirek said, looking between the unicorn and Scootaloo.

"Chrissy, dear, do we really need them?" He sighed, glancing at the queen.

"Hm?" Chrysalis asked, looking away from the element.

She saw the pegasus staring off slightly.

"Yes… Getting the elements were all we needed her for." She sighed, nodding to the mare.

Scootaloo's eyes misted over because deeply down, she didn't want to leave her friend.

In a horrifying moment, Scootaloo walked off the cliff.

"SCOOTALOO!" Sweetie Belle screeched.

"No!" Flurry Heart sobbed.

The unicorn teleported to the cliff.

She grabbed Scootaloo's hoof and the mare hung limply from it, still breathing.

"It's okay… We're okay…" Sweetie Belle breathed to her motionless friend.

"Not quite." Tirek whispered.

He fired a burst of magic at the girls and they slipped.

"No!" Flurry Heart screamed.

She stared at the cliff, her freezing breath making a white cloud.

"Scootaloo… Sweetie Belle…" She whispered.

"Hmm… I should have stolen their magic before they died… The princess's student would be such a good boost…" Tirek said.

"No matter." Chrysalis yawned.

"Yes, we have all we need." Sombra chuckled, letting the element of magic come to him.

"Finall-"

Suddenly, a blue something flew past him, snatching the element.

"What?!" The villans gasped together.

Gabby landed gracefully on top of the tree.

"Ha ha!" The griffon laughed.

"Ow!" She suddenly cried, the element burning her.

"Diamond Tiara! Catch!" She yelled, tossing it.

Chrysalis gasped when the young mare pushed past her and caught it.

"Go- Owoch!" Diamond Tiara squealed.

Flurry Heart gasped in suprise sand quickly hid herself behind the tree, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Hey!" A pony she didn't recognized creid.

"Settle down, cous'" Applebloom whispered behind her.

"Applebloom!" The princess squealed softly.

They hugged when there was a call.

"Help!" Diamond Tiara creid, her hair being held by Tirek.

"How dare you turn on us, now give me that stone!" He hissed.

The mare smiled and chucked the element away.

Flurry Heart leapt out from behind the tree and caught it with her hooves.

"Youch!" She squealed, tossing a bit away to Randy.

"Yikes! Hot, hot!" He cried.

"Give that to me!" Sombra growled, lunging to the boy.

"Got it!" Babs laughed, leaping over him and grabbed the stone.

She landed and handed it to Applebloom.

"Sweet Celestia!" Applebloom creid, it burning.

She tossed it to one last pony.

Sweetie Belle landed gracefully from her bubble that surrounded her and Scootaloo.

She gasped and caught the element with her magic. The element started to shine and glow, connected to her.

"What's going on?" The unicorn whispered, the element going up into the air.

Suddenly, her green eyes grew and there was a twinkle in her eye, a spark.

The other elements flew from the tree to their new owners since their old were gone.

Laughter went to the bright and happy griffon who was connected to the others in a way she had no idea, but if they had met before, she would have made them smile.

Kindness went to Babs for her kind way of forgiving Diamond Tiara and making so easily friends with Gabby.

Generosity went to Diamond Tiara which was ironic because her cutie mark was getting things that she wanted, but she always shared these things with her friends.

Honesty went the old bearer's little sister, Applebloom. Her honesty had made her blunt and stubborn at times but she used it well. Besides, she had seemed to be next in line for it.

And even under a spell, Scootaloo got the element of loyalty for her bravery and nobility to her friends. Instead of being put out about her inability to fly, her loyalty earned her the mechanics from Applebloom.

The element of magic went to Sweetie Belle not just because she was the only unicorn. She got it because the old leader, Twilight Sparkle, taught the mare all she had known. Both magic and friendship Sweetie Belle had studied though she didn't need much  
help with the second.

With the elements floating in front of them, their eyes flashed with multiple colors and they gasped together when they blinked.

The elements turned to necklaces and a crown for their bearers.

"I'm sorry!" They suddenly heard a sob.

They turned and saw Scootaloo sitting and crying, the magic of friendship had healed her.

"Scootaloo!" Flurry Heart squealed, giving one big flap of her wings and rocketing to her.

"Flurry Heart…. You're okay…" Scootaloo whispered though tears.

"I'm sorry! I should have never said what I did!" Flurry Heart cried, still surprised.

"Is anypony wondering why we have the elements? It is werid…" Babs coughed.

"It means we are destined to be friends." Applebloom said, looking around.

"Really?" Diamond whispered.

"But I never met you guys until a few days ago!" Gabby gasped.

"It must be fate!" Flurry Heart murrmered, trotting back to Randy.

"Yes, yes, friendship is magic blah, blah. Now can you elements of harmony get rid of the darkness?!" Discord huffed.

The elements remembered and Sweetie Belle glared at the villans.

"All this time, you've hunted down my friends and our camp. You wanted to destroy the real heir to the throne. We will punish you for it!" The unicorn growled.

Her eyes and her friends turned pure white and they started to rise.

"No…" Chrysalis growled.

"This can't be over." Tirek snarled.

Sombra was looking around for a way to stop this when the two children caught his eye. The princess would somehow have a way to be protected from his magic but the yak boy had nothing. He wasn't of any importance to the villains but he was to the do gooders.

Sombra suddenly shot a black beam at the boy and he collapsed as it passed through.

"Randy!" Flurry Heart cried, holding her friend.

The others gasped and lowered from their stances.

"Are you two okay?!" Scootaloo gasped, running up with the others.

"No! No, we need to do something!" Flurry Heart cried, tears in her eyes.

Randy was motionless on the ground and the other crowded around him.

Chrysalis saw the opportunity with them all in the same place. She lit her horn and fired.

Sweetie Belle turned and saw it. "No!" She yelled, lighting her horn.

She teleported her friends away back to their camp, leaving the villains alone at the tree.

"And now they have the elements of harmony. We should have seen that coming, those three leaders somehow always evading our grasp." Tirek hissed.

"Please, those mares won't be a problem for long… All we need to worry about is the alicorn."

"Please… Can you do anything?" Flurry Heart whispered, using her magic to put a wet cloth on the yak's forehead.

"I'm not sure. It's powerful dark magic…" Sweetie Belle sighed. "All we can do now is let him rest."

The others exited, leaving the princess alone to look at the sleeping yak.

"Get better soon." She whispered softly.

The girl felt her face heat up and slowly walked up to him.

She shut her eyes and kissed him quickly on the lips but her eyes shot open, seeing a vision of black and a blinding light trying to beat it back.

She heard laughter.

"Just stop resisting!" She heard Randy yell.

The alicorn screamed and fell back. She looked back at the still sleeping boy.

"Oh no… The villains are coming for you too!" She whispered.

The princess stood and ran away to alert her friends. 


	9. Secrets in Shadows

"Flurry Heart… Are you alright?" A voice whispered.

Flurry Heart awoke and gasped in wonder at the castle of the Crystal Empire.

"M-mother?" The alicorn whispered, seeing Princess Cadance in front of her.

"Yes, Flurry Heart. I must tell you something…" Cadence whispered, smiling sweetly.

"What?"

Suddenly, her scrapbook appeared in front of her.

"You will need this soon, but I shall tell you what you need to know at the moment…"

The scrap book opened to reveal a page titled, "The History of The Crystal Empire"

"Once upon a time, long before you were born or perhaps even when I was born, a evil king of shadows ruled our kingdom. You have seen him before, I presume." Cadance said, pointing at King Sombra.

"Yes. We've met. He hurt Randy!" Flurry Heart growled.

"Well, I know how to defeat the villains." Cadance said.

Flurry Heart looked up at her. "What?! How?!" She cried.

"This." Cadance said, pointing to a picture.

It was of a pretty alicorn with a baby dragon on her back, using her magic to hold the Crystal Heart.

"It's you! Oh! And that heart thing! What is that?"

"The Crystal Heart, it was once a relic of our kingdom." Cadance said.

She turned the pages to the elements of harmony and pointed to them.

"Your friends are the bearers to the elements. These are very powerful weapons but it would exhaust both their power as well as your friends. You need more power for it, the heart should provide that." The princess said.

"Yes… Where is it?! Where can I find it? Is it-"

"It is near but I must warn you, the heart destroys a being of darkness." Her mother said, putting her hoof on the filly's shoulder.

Flurry Heart looked at the hoof and slowly looked up. "W-what do you mean? I know that."

"What I'm saying is, be wise with its power, you must be careful."

The princess backed away slowly.

"Alright… I'll do that…" She whispered.

"But where do I-"

Flurry Heart awoke on her sleeping bag in the camp and slowly turned to the scrapbook next to her.

Her magic flipped to the page about the Crystal Empire and saw the pictures.

"Flurry Heart!" There was a knock at the door.

"Er, yes?" The princess gasped, thrusting her scrapbook under the blankets.

Discord stepped in and frowned. "Are you alright?"

"Hm? Yes. What did you come in again?" The alicorn laughed.

"Randy woke u-"

Flurry Heart teleported away.

"Oh thanks for waking up my boyfriend, Discord! You're the best!" Discord muttered.

"Randy!" Flurry Heart cried, running past the others to Randy's side.

The elements and Tender Taps looked up from their game. Applebloom had her powers back as well as her lover, Scootaloo was out of her brain contrael, the elements had met and were dear friends. They didn't know if the villains would come back and it was  
odd that hadn't tried anything yet.

"Shh… He's sorta still… In shock…" Diamond Tiara whispered.

Applebloom nodded.

Randy was laying down and looking up at the ceiling.

"Randy…" Flurry Heart whispered.

The yak flinched at her voice and sat up.

"F-flurry Heart…" He said, recognizing her.

"Yes… Yes, that's right!" The princess cried, hugging him.

The boy was caught slightly off guard and the girl blushed.

"I… Um…"

"I missed you so much…" Randy finished.

The princess was sitting with Randy after

he was feeling better.

"Randy… I was so scared you were gone…" The princess whispered. The girl smiled weakly through tears and Randy took a moment but grinned back.

"I couldn't protect you, Flurry Heart…" He murmured.

The door opened suddenly and the elements walked in. The children jumped.

"How are ya' doin'?" Babs asked Randy.

The yak didn't say anything.

"Randy?" Flurry Heart whispered.

The boy looked up and to the girl's surprise, he had tears in his eyes, but they looked like angry tears.

"Oh no! Come on! Please cheer up!" Gabby cried, flapping next to him.

Randy lowered his head.

"I think they need sometime alone to talk about things, come on girls." Diamond whispered.

Gabby huffed and walked out with the others. The door closed.

Flurry Heart turned to Randy and smiled shyly. "Um… Should we talk about this? You have been acting rather… Strange."

Randy turned to her and the princess gasped. He was crying, again. It scared her.

"Strange? I've been acting strange around you?" He whispered grimly.

"Y-yes, you have. A-are you feeling alright?"

Randy looked into her concerned eyes and nodded. "Fine."

Flurry Heart forced her smile and pushed back her covers. She pulled out her scrapbook.

Randy's eyes widened in horror. "N-no…" He whispered.

"Huh?"

"NO!" He yelled, making Flurry Heart start in fright.

The boy suddenly flung the book off and the princess cried out.

"W-what's wrong?!" She cried.

Randy looked at the book lying there on the floor.

"I'm… Scared…"

Sweetie Belle bit her lip but slowly knocked on the door.

The sound of tiny sobs stiffened. "W-who is it?"

"It's Sweetie Belle, may I come in?"

There was a pause.

"...No." The princess sniffed.

The teenager exhaled and her head thudded as she put it against the door.

"What happened? He's still…" The unicorn trailed off and didn't say shaking, it would upset her more.

"I-I didn't mean to scare him!" The princess blubbered.

"I don't know why he was scared… But know it couldn't be of you."

"How do you know?"

"Because… A dragon looked at my big sister with the same look I've seen him give you. He adores you."

There wasn't a sound until the girl spoke softly. "Y-you think?"

"I know…"

"I adore him too. I don't want anything bad to happen to him! I don't want him to be hurt or threatened or… Used against me, because that just keeps happening."

It was silent for a moment before Sweetie Belle whispered, "I know."

It was lonely for Thorax in a changling prison. He was lucky he wasn't dead. The queen always threatened to destroy any changeling that turned on her but know that the elements of harmony were in play, she was pretty startled.

He settled down with a sigh and fell into sleep.

Speaking of sleep, Randy was having a nightmare filled one.

He didn't notice the door open and Discord sneak in.

Randy thrashed in bed and Discord tried to see him without making a sound.

He sighed and tried to remove the darkness Sombra had put in the little prince, but you can't destroy darkness.

After many hours, Discord growled in frustration. It couldn't happen. He gave up.

A few minutes later, the little princess had cried herself to sleep, she awoke at the horrible stench of something. Her eyes snapped open.

Flurry Heart rubbed her eyes then looked at her scrapbook beside her. She lit her horn, opened it and cried out in shock. The first page of the book was crinkling and shriveling.

"W-what?!" She gasped.

Her gold magic encased the page and she struggled to try to do something.

She sighed. "Alicorns, please help!"

She closed her eyes and when she opened them, they were pure white.

"Darkness, be silenced!" Her royal voice boomed.

The page straightened and her alicorn powers ridded the darkness's. But it couldn't take it forever.


	10. All We Know

Darkness was everywhere, surrounding him. Randy started in surprise.

"Are you afraid, little prince?" A dark voice chuckled in his dream.

Flurry Heart still couldn't get that freezing, hurting feeling out of her head. It had been going on since her alicorn powers had kicked in and stopped her scrapbook from being destroyed by darkness.

It was like the darkness had left a trace on her.

At that moment, Discord popped in her room. The princess screamed in surprise.

"Good morning to you too." Discord grumbled, plopping down on her bed that sagged under his weight.

"Um… Can you not do that ever again?" Flurry Heart creid, still shaking after his sudden appearance.

The draconequus sighed deeply and the princess didn't say anything for a moment.

"Hey Discord? Is your magic…" She trailed off.

Discord's mood suddenly brightened. He snapped his claw but nothing happened.

"What?! I held back my incredible powers for years now and princess stuck up-"

"Stuck up?!" Flurry Heart gasped.

"Yes. As I was saying, when you finally want to see it, it's not happening!" The draconequus growled.

Flurry Heart shurgged. "My magic works just fine." She said.

Discord huffed. "Oh goody. Besides, I noticed that just fine last night."

Flurry Heart froze and turned to him.

"D-did I say that out loud?"

The alicorn leapt to her feet and growled. "Why were you up last night? How did you know about my scrapbook?"

"Your scrapbook? I just know you did some mighty deity alicorn power, I can tell when that sorta stuff happens, my dear." He anwsered, a bit shocked at her sudden outburst.

The princess felt her face grow red with embersment and she slowly sat back down.

"Er… I-is your magic… Unusual?" She asked, choosing her words carefully.

Discord laughed. "Hm, maybe."

"No I mean… Like…" She bit her lip but then dragged out the scrapbook. "Like before."

The girl opened it and showed him a page entitled, "The Lord of Chaos"

"Oh…" Discord whispered, looking at the felt cutouts.

"Oh…" He growled again, realizing. He snapped the book shut and pushed it back.

The princess flushed. "I-I'm sorry, I just… Well…"

"I know exactly what you meant. Is my magic evil." The draconequus hissed, his red eyes flashing.

The alicorn stuttered but eventually lowered her head.

"Always assuming the worst! Just like your au-" He stopped.

"My aunt?! I have a aunt? H-how do yo-"

Discord slammed the door and the alicorn chased after him.

Thorax found himself in a dark place as he slept.

"Where am I?" He asked.

Suddenly, a white light pierced the area.

"You are in a dream, Thorax." Said a voice.

A purple alicorn walked to him, looking calm.

"Y-you… You're the princess of friendship!" Thorax gasped.

"That's right and you are Thorax." Twilight Sparkle said, nodding.

Throax looked around then frowned. "Wait… Aren't you-"

"Yes, but that doesn't matter at the moment. I'm here about my niece." The princess replied.

Thorax stared still then put his hoof to his face. "Oh. Her."

Randy woke up with a jolt and stared around his room. The boy slowly got out of his bed when he heard a yell.

"Discord! I'm sorry!" The princess cried.

The yak opened the door to see Flurry Heart was flying after a firmly walking Discord.

"What did you mean about my aunt?" She asked.

"Aunt? You have a aunt?" Randy murrmered.

They turned to him and Flurry Heart squealed.

"I'm sorry! Please don't be afraid of me!" The girl bolted into a hug that knocked Randy to the ground.

Randy laughed and got up. Flurry Heart blushed but giggled.

"I could never be afraid of you, I'm only afraid that I could lose you.." The yak said.

The princess nodded. "Yes! I was thinking the same thing!"

Randy smiled.

Discord walked up to Flurry Heart and saw Randy.

"Oh. You're awake." Discord said, seeming not as happy as Flurry Heart.

"So, did anything happen while I was asleep?"

Flurry Heart shook her head with a smile. "Nope! Just me worrying about you!" Her smile faded. "I'm sorry about earlier with my scrapbook and… It was an accident!"

Randy seemed to force a smile. "Yes… I know. Where is your scrapbook?"

Discord coughed suddenly. "Right here, actually." He snapped his claw and the princess's scrapbook appeared before him.

The alicorn's cheeks puffed up and turned red. "Give it back! You have no right to have it!"

She hopped, trying to get the scrapbook. Finally, she used her wings to thrust up with all her strength, knocking it out of his claw.

She tried to grab it, but the gravity wouldn't allow it. It was close to the ground when a red aura surrounded it and lifted it up.

Flurry Heart frowned and turned to Discord who wasn't meeting her gaze, he was looking at Randy.

The princess turned and gasped. Randy's eyes burned the same red and it replaced his earlier, calm, green eyes.

"W-what? You have magic too?!" Flurry Heart choked, surprised.

The book dropped to the floor and Randy's eyes flashed from red and green. He suddenly bolted away, leaving Flurry Heart to question what all she knew about love and if not telling her this crucial detail… Made it work. 


	11. Allies And Enemies

"W-what just…. Happened?" Flurry Heart whispered weakly. She slowly used her magic to lift her scrapbook to her and turned to Discord.

"Discord? I'm going to go see if-"

"No, you're not. You go get the elements of harmony, tell the girls what happened and I'll go see that prince." Discord interrupted.

Flurry Heart frowned. "Why can't I come? I'm Randy's friend, he would explain this to me if to anypony." She huffed, flying up to face Discord.

The draconequus gave a growl and started to walk away.

"Wait up!" The alicorn cried, flying after him.

Discord snapped his paw though and a door appeared. He opened it and stepped through, leaving Flurry Heart to slam into the wall once it had disappeared almost immediately after.

"Grrr… I don't like him sometimes." The princess huffed.

* * *

"Why do you want to talk about your niece? I think there's more pressing issues at the moment that a full grown alicorn could be handling right now." Thorax muttered.

"I understand why you're mad at me…. But please, I want to talk." Twilight said, nodding slightly.

Thorax frowned. "About what?"

"Even as a baby, your goal was to make peace and be happy in the changeling kingdom, obviously, circumstances did not allow this."

Thorax bit his lip. "Yeah… No joke. The Crystal Empire just… Disappeared that day. It was odd. The queen found me though and she called me a traitor. The villains came together so all ponies would fear them and together, a war would have been too

long. I was surprised when Sweetie Belle and her friends took on the responsibility for the camp after Applebloom's grandmother and brother…. Were taken… I don't know why I have such a bad feeling when I see your niece… I just do. It feels like she  
/did something but I don't know what. I want to help the ponies but they're too scared of me. I even tried to save them, and look where that got me. The guards only let me see the Queen calling the other villains and Sweetie Belle trying to wake up  
/Scootaloo. I hope they're both safe."

"Why do you care about the CMC so much?" Twilight asked.

"The what?"

"Oh, er, nothing. I meant Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle."

"Um…. I can't really explain that either. I just have these feelings!" The changeling creid.

The alicorn frowned. "Hm… that is strange… Have you seen my niece's scrapbook?"

"Um, no. She hates me. Why are you asking me all this?" Thorax wondered out loud.

"I need you to help Flurry Heart with her quest of saving Equestria, The Crystal Empire, everypony! I once knew a certain draconequus that I didn't want to work with, but for my subjects, I knew I had to. So it doesn't matter if you don't like her  
/very much. If you want the girls and everypony else to be safe, you're going to have to escape and find my niece."

Thorax nodded.

* * *

Flurry Heart knocked on Sweetie Belle's door where the elements often spent time planning for the villans.

The door opened and Babs welcomed her. Flurry Heart walked in and saw that everypony looked fine but realized Sweetie Belle looked absolutely exhausted.

Her usually perfect mane was sticking out a different angles, her eyes red and puffy, the usual sparkle in her eyes dimmed.

"Are you alright?" The princess gasped, running to her.

The unicorn shook her head and slowly closed her eyes. The mare gave a shake so hard that the alicorn leapt away in shock and her eyes shot open.

"What's wrong with her?" Flurry Heart murmured to Gabby, sitting down next to her.

"She's been having horrible headaches, she's been randomly crying too, we don't know why she's been this way, poor thing!" She sighed.

"She's so jumpy…" Diamond whispered.

Applebloom and Scootaloo said nothing, being Sweetie Belle's nearest friends.

"Hasn't been sleeping either." Babs murmured.

"Since when?"

"Since last night."

Flurry Heart frowned. Didn't Randy wake up last night?

* * *

Thorax pounded desperately on the jail cell he was locked in, trying to get free.

"Help!" He yelled. Thorax knew it might be pointless but if he was born with a will to make friends, maybe another changeling had it too.

There was a sudden clunk and Thorax turned to the cell door. A guard had opened the door.

"T-thank you!" Thorax creid.

"I'm not coming here to free you."

"Oh." The changeling whispered, not knowing what sort of punishment awaited him.

He slowly got up then noticed something sticking out the guard's helmet.

"What's that?"

The guard frowned and looked up at the paper. He tried to shove it back in when it fell. Thorax swiped it up. He unfolded it and frowned.

It was the picture of Flurry Heart and her relic above her.

"Why… Why do you have this? I drew it." Thorax murmured.

The guard looked around before whispering, "Did you really see the princess?"

"Um… Yes? Why do you want to know?" Thorax asked.

"I-is she as powerful as said?"

"She uncovered a town from twelve, soon thirteen years of snow once, she's super powerful at least… In her white eyes state, normal? I guess she's alright. But she always forgets to use her powers then."

"Oh. D-do you think she'll win?"

Thorax blinked in surprise. "I-I don't know. I need to help her. Without my help, she can't win. So-"

The guard swung open the door.

"I… I fell in love with a pony long ago. The queen killed her." Was all he said.

Thorax snuck out with help of the guard and started his journey to the princess.

* * *

Flurry Heart stared at her scrapbook.

"There's gotta be a map, o-or a clue, or… Magic! There's some kind of magic to lead me to the Crystal Heart, right?" She looked to the cave ceiling and sighed.

"Mother… What do you mean? Where is it? Why must I be careful? Tell me what to do!"

There was a collective gasp suddenly and she turned to the door. The princess opened it and saw Thorax covered in snow and shivering.

Sweetie Belle sat awake in her bed, her eyes bloodshot from trying to keep them open and blinking as quick as she could, fearing she'd see those frightening red, angry eyes that stared at her when she did blink. The mare felt tears trickle down her cheeks  
/but made no move to brush them away. The headache of freezing and burning still hadn't gone away and the pain was almost unbearable.

Her friends, the elements of harmony, glanced at each other, concerned. Tender Taps couldn't be there, being the new leader of the camp, but he would be worried for their friend too.

"You gotta go to sleep sometime, it isn't good for your health!" Diamond Tiara said.

"It's not great for mine either." Gabby yawned.

Sweetie Belle shook her head. "I can't. Everytime I try, I see those eyes…"

"Please, please try again!" Applebloom whispered.

"If I try, will everypony please go to bed?"

The others sadly nodded.

Sweetie Belle slowly exhaled then closed her eyes. Those eyes!

"I can't!" She growled, snapping them open.

The unicorn looked to her friends to see they were all taken aback by her outburst.

"G-go to bed, like you all said you would."

Then, all her friends collapsed.

"Girls?" Sweetie Belle whispered. They didn't stir.

The unicorn bolted up and ran to them.

"Get up!" She grunted, trying to shake them awake.

But it didn't help. "No… Don't tell me the villains have come for us!"

There was a sudden laugh behind her and Sweetie Belle went pale.

"Don't worry, I didn't want them to

feel as much as you will when I destroy you all."

"I won't you hurt my friends and neither will this!" Sweetie Belle growled, levitating her crown on her head.

"And one element will stop me?" Randy chuckled.

The unicorn's furious face faded to realization.

"I-I-"

"I'm right, aren't I?" Randy asked, his smirk growing.

The unicorn backed away slowly, frightened by the poisoned words of the boy.

"Yes, I'm going to relish in all the elements death but yours especially." Randy hissed.

"Y-you're the one who's been torturing me all day! Why are you like this?! Why do you hate me all the sudden?! Y-you're going to disappoint Flurry Heart too!" Sweetie Belle cried.

Randy's eyes burned red and Sweetie Belle was lifted up. She choked for air and Randy jerked her to him. He grabbed her chin as she kept struggling.

"Never say Flurry Heart will be disappointed in me! Never! You think you're any better?! You knocked her out! You hurt her! And you, Sweetie Belle, will regret that. Flurry Heart is all I love and anypony trying to hurt her will die but not before  
/I let you see all your precious friends end." Randy growled.

Sweetie Belle fell to the ground then looked to her friends.

"No..." She whispered, tripping while she gasped for air to them.

Sweetie Belle fell in front of them and turned to Randy, tears streaking down her face.

"Please, no!" She pleaded.

"Don't you talk back to me, you beast!" Randy yelled.

Sweetie Belle was flung into the wall and was chained there.

Randy narrowed his eyes and they turned red.

"No!" The unicorn cried.

A red ball of energy appeared above his head and Sweetie Belle struggled.

"No, no, no! Applebloom, Scootaloo, everypony, get up! Get up!" She sobbed to her sleeping friends.

The dark magic fired and Sweetie Belle screamed.

"NO!"


	12. Replacements

Sweetie Belle clenched her teeth and let out a sob. The spell had hit and left a huge burn mark on the ground. A scar of the battle. The unicorn broke down and let tears out. Suddenly though, she was jerked upward.

Randy's eyes flared in anger.

"What did you do?!" He growled.

The unicorn gasped in both shock and the slightest bit of fear.

"I… I don't know what you're talking about." She whispered firmly.

Randy narrowed his eyes.

"You… Don't?" Randy asked.

"I don't. What are you so worried about?" The unicorn growled.

The mare was slammed to the ground in Randy's anger.

"Your friends happened to disappear at just the moment I was to destroy them?!" The yak yelled, making her flinch.

"Yes, because I couldn't let you do it." Growled a voice behind him.

The prince turned slowly to his princess who looked very upset.

"What is wrong with you?! You've been so odd lately!" The princess cried.

"F-flurry Heart…. Dear, I-"

"I don't want to hear your reasoning! Not now anyway." The alicorn growled. She hoped that her red cheeks looked like they were flushed with anger instead of the excitement over that he had just called her dear.

"She tried to hurt you! She succeededeven!" The prince snapped, pointing at Sweetie Belle who was trying to grab her crown with her magic, hoping he wouldn't see.

"She might of, but it was because I was more fixated on saving my kingdom then one of the closest friends, a guardian and teacher of mine and I left her to be mind controlled a-and used against Sweetie Belle! She had the right to knock me out because  
I… I'm heartless!" The princess sobbed.

There was silence for a moment.

"No… You're not…" Randy whispered.

The alicorn slowly turned to the sleeping elements and lit her horn, attempting to wake them up.

The yak gave a growl and said, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Flurry Heart didn't turn however and suddenly transported away with the elements.

Randy narrowed his eyes in anger and snapped his head to find Sweetie Belle had been transported too.

"Why does she have to be so difficult?" He growled. "I just need her help."

* * *

Flurry Heart cast a shield spell around them all, preventing all dark magic from entering. They were in a place Randy wouldn't expect.

Flurry Heart's alicorn powers had their blessings too. She had transported under miles of snow and into the castle of friendship.

Sweetie Belle put on her crown and turned to Flurry Heart.

"Are they up yet? Are they okay? Are th-"

"They're asleep by means of dark magic, I… Don't exactly know how to wake them up…" Flurry Heart whispered.

Sweetie Belle wilted and felt another heartbeat nearby.

She lighted her horn and swung around to see Thorax asleep and covered in snow on the ground.

"Don't ask. He might be here to deliver a message, so don't-"

"Or a spy."

Flurry Heart raised her eyebrows. "Oh really? The uncoutise, shivering and almost dead changeling not in a different form?"

"Yes. It could be a trick. He could be listening and know that my friends are asleep and Discord is a coward, again!" Sweetie Belle growled, sitting on a bed.

"What are you talking about?" Flurry Heart whispered, lighting her horn to start the long healing process her friends needed to go through.

Sweetie Belle was going to reply when she turned to the map of Equestria that had shrunken back to its table state.

"Wow…" She whispered.

Flurry Heart turned and saw Sweetie Belle walk to it.

The unicorn touched the map but it didn't flare to life as it had with the princess.

Sweetie Belle slowly drew her hoof away and hung her head.

"I guess it only works for the real bearers of harmony…." She whispered.

"But isn't that you? Aren't you bound to them?" Flurry Heart asked, walking up.

"No…" The mare sighed. "I'm just a replacement. Holding these powerful elements… It's scary. What if the villains come and they don't even work?!"

Flurry Heart slowly walked up to her and put a hoof on her shoulder.

"They always have worked, haven't they?"

The unicorn slowly nodded.

"Then they will again! When you think about it, I'm almost in the same predicament."

Sweetie Belle sniffed and turned. "How so? My coltfriend isn't hunting me down just because he's that much in love with me. And you… You don't have a sister who was amazing or a powerful pony who taught you everything magic that you have to live  
up to."

"Well… I have my mother… And… I think I have some aunts… Besides, you are a powerful pony that taught me everything I know so far, right? I have to live up to you."

"I didn't teach you anything, you just knew that stuff." Sweetie Belle whispered, giving a weak smile.

The alicorn bit her lip. How did she know all these spells?!

* * *

Discord awoke with a groan and found himself in a dark place so he couldn't see anything.

That little yak had shown so much power, it was like all the villains combined… He had beat the lord of chaos and sent him wherever this was.

Discord tried to use his magic to make a light but found he couldn't.

"What is going on?" He growled.

"You were always dim witted, Discord… Joining those silly ponies made you more." He heard Chrysalis cackle.

The draconequus gasped and looked around.

"Where are you?! Where am I?!" He snapped.

"As if we'd answer you, tratior. We've already replaced you with a much loyalier ally." He heard Sombra laugh.

"Why did you do that?! Controlling Randy isn't going to get you anywhere! Flurry Heart will never do what you say if you do!" Discord creid.

The darkness still didn't agust and he decided to just stay put.

"Controlling him? Please, we wouldn't control a weakling like him. No, he's doing it all on his own accord."

"He knows y-you all captured his father and destroyed his mother! Why?! Why would he listen to you?!"

"Because, we make it sound like we care about him and more importantly, his precious Flurry Heart. Children are so easily bent if you get them what they want." Tirek said.

Discord looked around and growled.

"No matter what you do, Flurry Heart will stop the darkness, I'll make sure of it!" He yelled.

"The princess doesn't even know where the crystal heart is and the elements of harmony aren't going to be helping her anymore. When she wants come here… She'll be drained of all her love and magic until she is too weak to save Equestria. Then, no  
heir to the throne will stop us and the alicorn race will be dead, forever."

Discord heard the villains laughter and knew they had left.

"I hope it won't have to come to that… I just hope she's wise enough to do it right and set her kingdom free… Finally." 


	13. Trust

Sweetie Belle rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and saw Flurry Heart about to collapse.

"You need to go to sleep.."

The alicorn snapped back to life suddenly.

"W-what?! Huh?!" She cried.

Sweetie Belle bit her lip and slowly touched her shoulder.

"You can't go on like this! You nearly fired your magic at me!" She cried.

The princess yawned loudly then covered her mouth quickly.

"I-I'm fine. You can't stay up with me! I'm saving my friends."

"Why can't I take over? You've been at it for three days now!"

The princess eyes widened at the mention of taking a break.

She couldn't stop herself and nearly collapsed.

Sweetie Belle caught her and slowly placed her on the ground.

* * *

Hours later, Flurry Heart awoke. She yawned then felt somepony watching her. She turned and saw Thorax staring at her.

The princess held in her squeal of surprise.

"G-good… You're awake." She whispered.

"Where am I?" Thorax asked.

"In a friendship castle."

They were silent for a moment.

"It's a long story. I'm glad you're okay!"

"You don't trust me at all, do you?" He asked dully.

The princess glanced at Sweetie Belle who wasn't paying attention and then back to him.

"Well… I don't think it would be to rude to distrust you a little…. I hope you understand." She sighed.

"I have tried to kill you on-"

"Twice."

"Fine. Twice. I have tried to do that a few times but I have my reasons!"

"As I recall, I haven't done anything to you."

"I-I know… It's just a gut feeling…."

The princess's mouth opened and she slowly shut it.

"You wouldn't mind doing a favor for me, would you?" She asked.

"Does it mean saving Equestria?"

"Yes."

"I'm fine with it then."

* * *

A few hours later, Sweetie Belle glanced over at the sleeping princess and sighed.

She didn't notice a golden light fade behind a wall.

Flurry Heart left the castle behind and sighed. She would only be gone for a hour or two, then go back.

The princess was very uneasy, being all alone in the snow. She had grabbed her brown clock she always wore to cover herself and slipped the hood on.

The alicorn made her scrapbook appear and flipped through it.

"This has to have a map to the villains in here…" She breathed, wondering why her mother had told her this book would help her.

The girl frowned suddenly and looked up.

"I-it feels… Strange out here…" She whispered, feeling like something was wrong.

There was a sudden chuckle and she started in surprise, twisting around.

"What are you doing out here, Flurry Heart?" Randy murmured, his green eyes had specks of red in them which made the alicorn hesitate before answering.

"I-I have nothing to say to you." She muttered quickly before turning away.

She closed her eyes and started to walk away.

"Nothing to say to me? I've been worried sick about you and now you won't speak to me?!" The yak growled, going after her.

The alicorn kept walking and shook her head in reply.

"Where's your guardian, huh? Why would that monster let you out here if she's absolutely loves you so?" Randy asked in a mocking tone.

"She's not a monster, Randy. Deep down, you know that." Flurry Heart said, looking up but not facing him.

"You're too blind to see the truth, my darling. There must be a reason why you left her behind."

The alicorn froze slightly. She narrowed her eyes. "How-"

"It's a good thing you keep some of your plans in that pretty little head of yours." The prince answered smugly.

Flurry Heart gasped and turned to face him. "You've been spying on me?!"

"No!" The boy replied, raising his voice.

"Then who?!" The girl cried.

"The villains, who else? You really think they'd just leave you alone?! They might be too much of cowards to approach your precious bearers but they always will be keeping an eye on you!" He snapped, making the girl flinch.

"They know I'm here?!" The princess whispered, glancing around.

"Of course, my treasure." Randy sighed, walking up.

Flurry Heart felt helpless and slowly backed away from him.

The yak slowly grabbed her and caressed her face, making the princess shake with fear, sadness, confusion, and anger. She tore away.

She finally let loose everything kept in her mind from the last few days.

"Why?! W-why are you doing this? Why are you teamed up with them?! Why aren't my friends waking up?! Where are the villains and where is Discord?! You gotta help me! Please! Please, just answer something!"

"Okay!" The yak snapped.

"Alright. But you must tell me why you need to go see the villains. If you do, you have my word." He muttered.

Flurry Heart slowly shook her head. "If they truly are watching, I just want to find Discord. Do you know where he is?"

The prince lowered his head. "N-no."

The alicorn sighed and turned away.

"Now tell me where the villains are."

Randy looked up at her. "Flurry Heart, my dear, I can't tell you. You'll get yourself ki-"

He froze but Flurry Heart was so upset, she barely noticed.

"No! You promised me! Y-you gave your word!" She cried.

Randy grunted in pain though and fell to the ground.

"Randy?!" Flurry Heart breathed, running to him.

The yak slowly opened his eyes and saw Flurry Heart looking at him with fear and concern.

"Are you okay?! Please! Tell me you're okay!" She cried, tears pricking her bright eyes.

"Flurry Heart… I'm sorry, I'll take you." He said, winching.

"And you're okay?"

He gave a weak smile.

Flurry Heart sighed and helped him up.

"Even though you're a bit… Different now, I can still feel a bit of yourself deep in there, that's why I'm trusting you."

* * *

After traveling for quite sometime, Flurry Heart realized that she and Randy still loved to be together. Despite trying to stay silent, Randy made her laugh.

That night, they gazed up at the stars and Flurry Heart sighed softly.

Randy turned to her. "What's the matter?"

"It's just… I can't wrap my head around why you're so…."

"So what?"

The alicorn huffed in frustration. "Confident."

"Oh. Um, yeah. It's a perk about having powers-"

"I know, you feel invincible." The girl turned away from him. "But you aren't."

Randy sat up and narrowed his eyes.

"Of course I am, I beat the elements of harmony, didn't I?"

"Just saying, using dark magic comes with a price." Flurry Heart whispered.

"And how would you know that?"

"Discord regrets it, right?"

They were silent for a moment.

"I hope I can find him soon." The girl continued a bit sad. "I was mad at him the last time I saw him. He was suspicious of you and…."

They glanced at each other.

Flurry Heart wanted to deny the ending to the sentence but seeing the spots of red in his eyes made her continued.

"He was right."

"Uh huh."

"Randy, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, darling."

"What happened to your parents?"

The boy tensed. "Why do you want to know?"

"Why do you think?"

The prince narrowed his eyes and looked into her bright and maybe even happy blue eyes.

"I… I don't know. Maybe the elements are watching, maybe you aren't even you! Maybe you're that rogue changeling! Ma-"

Flurry Heart put her hoof on his mouth, looking concerned.

"I-I'm all alone. You should know, if I did feel in danger with you here, I would call my friends. But I don't feel in danger, and neither should you. We're just two little kids stuck in the middle of this journey… You have to know it… I'll never  
hurt you. I couldn't! I promise to do that if you give your word also."

Randy looked into her eyes and nodded.

"I-I give you my word, your highness." He said, giving a wink. 


	14. Is it Lonely Without me?

Sweetie Belle brushed one of her curls out of her face and yawned.

She turned to Flurry Heart who had been quiet the whole day.

The unicorn had been concerned but thought the alicorn was just tired. She would be, performing that healing spell for three whole nights.

But now, it had been far too long.

"Hey," Sweetie Belle whispered, gently shaking her.

The filly woke up at once, as if she hadn't been sleeping at all.

"Um… Hi…" The filly whispered, smiling nervously.

The unicorn cocked her head. "Are you okay?"

"Fine. H-how are you?"

Sweetie Belle turned and saw Thorax was nowhere in sight.

The mare turned back to the princess.

"I'm alright I suppose, but I'm worried that Flurry Heart isn't." She growled.

The alicorn's eyes flashed light blue and she sighed.

Green flames engulfed her and Thorax revealed himself.

"You didn't have a very good plan." Sweetie Belle snapped, the magic fading around her friends and it glowed back in her horn.

"Now tell me where the princess is, you monster!" She cried.

Thorax stepped back and held up his hooves. "I didn't take her!"

"Oh, you didn't? Would Flurry Heart really get out of here just to go look for Discord and beat the villains, not bringing me because she knew I wouldn't allow it?!" Sweetie Belle cried. The anger in her eyes faded to realization.

"Sweet Celestia, she would!" She gasped.

The unicorn lit her horn and a saddle bag appeared around her. She levitated the elements of harmony in and walked near their bearers.

"Wait! You can't get out! Only Flurry Heart's magic can do that!" Thorax gasped, running up.

Sweetie Belle froze suddenly.

"I can do it…" She whispered mostly to herself.

"How?" The changeling asked.

She levitated the element of magic out of her bag and smiled.

"I may not have Flurry Heart's alicorn magic but if I know the spell and can use this to maximize my powers!" She squealed.

"How do you know the spell?" Thorax wondering, pressing her.

The unicorn smiled.

"Twilight taught it to me! I guess Flurry Heart… inherited it..." She whispered, looking down in her thoughts that were starting to get muddled.

* * *

A young yak, four at the very day, ran to his mother and father in the throne room one fateful morning and his mother embraced him lovingly. The boy looked up at his father who looked down at him sternly, but then cracked a smile. The boy giggled as his mother tickled him and kissed him repeatedly. A guard suddenly came in and the family looked up.

"My king," The guard said gruffly. "The castle has been checked, extra today."

"This is very good news." King Rutherford replied.

"Father? Why do we gotta' check the castle everyday?" The little prince Randy asked, looking up at him.

"No reason, my son." Rutherford answered.

"I-is something bad gonna' happen? Should we be scared?" Randy asked.

"No! We yaks are proud! We aren't scared of anything! Besides, everything on my son's birthday must be perfect!" The king said, raising his voice.

The queen was one of the only gentle yaks in all of Yakyakistan. She giggled softly and put a hoof on her husband's shoulder.

They nuzzled each and Randy snuggled between them, looking up.

They laughed and hugged him back. Suddenly, the door slammed open.

The prince was pushed immediately by his mother out and into the next room. She kissed him on the head.

"Randolph, I need you to stay here, okay? Hide somewhere and no matter what anypony, and I mean anypony tells you, stay there." The queen whispered, gripping him by the shoulders.

"B-but mama, what about you or father? Can I come out when you-" Randy started.

"No. Nopony, my love. Nopony at all." The queen murmured.

Randy shivered as she shut the door.

Hours later, he sat hidden in a wardrobe, shaking.

Nopony had asked him to come out yet, invaders or his parents.

Randy slowly peeked out the closet door then heard hoof steps.

He quickly closed it as the door opened.

He didn't even breath and held back a whimper. Who was out there?

"Randolph? Where are you?!" He heard his mother sob.

The boy pushed back the urge to swing open the door and ask his mother why she was crying. Answer to nopony…. Nopony at all.

Then he bolted up.

"Let go of me!" He heard his father snarl.

Randy very slowly opened the door and peeked out.

"Father?" He whispered.

The yak ran behind a wall and looked out the doorway to the room.

He saw in horror his father had been knocked out and he was being dragged out of the castle. The creatures doing it were like ponies, at least, what he saw in tapestries. His mother was gone.

A changeling suddenly looked up and the boy held his breath and ran back to the closet.

He heard walking and…. Sniffing?

The boy then heard a chilling sing-song voice.

"I know you're in there, little one!"

The yak shook so hard and the door flung open.

"Found you."

* * *

"Time to get up! We got a lot of ground to cover!"

Randy jolted awake as a bag landed on top of him.

He looked around to see Flurry Heart looking at him, curious.

"Come on! How long do you think it'll take for us to get there?"

The prince groaned and got up. "Many hours…. Why do you ask, darling?"

The princess smiled. "Well, I'm guessing it'll be a big battle, I should prepare myself, many hours will do the trick! Plus I can reform you so you won't betray me later with your dark magic."

Randy blinked his green and slightly red eyes.

"Oh."

His eyes suddenly glowed red again and Flurry Heart gasped.

But the only thing he did with his power was pick his bag up and put it on his back.

The alicorn smiled and blushed. "Okay… well, we should get going…"

The young couple walked through the snow and Flurry Heart kept looking with concern at Randy who had his head down.

"Randy? A-are the villains going to hurt you if you disobey them? They visited me in my dreams once… shows how powerful they are." She muttered.

"Flurry Heart… I'm gonna tell you who I get pulled into this whole thing in the first place…. I think then you'll know why I can't stand up to them.."

* * *

Discord couldn't find any doors, trapdoors, or even walls in his prison. It was just darkness, everywhere.

"Discord?!"

The creature didn't turn, he just gave a heavy sigh.

"Discord? What are you-"

"Don't waste your breath, you're not real…" he growled.

The draconqus heard the little sigh and turned.

"I said, go away!" He yelled.

The kind mare flinched in fear.

"You're not real! My prison is my memories! That's why I can't use my magic! You aren't the real Fluttershy!"

The pegasus blinked. "Oh. I'm... not?" She looked genuinely confused.

"Oh, be quiet." Discord growled, waving her off. He turned then heard her voice again.

"So, if I'm not the real one, and I'm just your memory, where is she?"

Discord heard the innocence of the sweet mare and knew, even though they could've, the villains had not poisoned this room to make him turn to them. No, they knew he wouldn't after betraying them to Flurry Heart and her guardians. They had made a trap of his memories. They were making him suffer.

"The real one's dead. You died 11 years ago."

The pegasus nodded. "I thought so… Is lonely without me?"

He turned, tears in his eyes which he tried not to show.

"Yes."

* * *

Flurry Heart blinked, again and again, mouth agape. "I-I'm sorry…"

Randy had told her his story.

"I was so afraid… I never disobeyed once," He looked up and looked into the princess's eyes. "until I met you."

Flurry Heart felt flush and turned away. "I'm sorry, again…"

"Why?" The boy asked, walking up.

The girl didn't meet his look. "This is all my fault!" She whispered softly.

Randy said nothing for a moment. "... How-?"

The princess turned to face him. "Because, I just woke up a few months ago, and… all of this happened! The villains have everything they do, because of me! They captured our camp because I was an arrogant, gullible fool! Just my existence has put everything the cmc had to waste! Everything's my fault!" She choked.

"Fine, drama princess," Randy sighed. "Everything's your fault so far, but it wasn't your fault the Empire disappeared, now is it?"

Flurry Heart blinked away her tears and smiled weakly. "I… guess not…"

But she couldn't be more wrong…


End file.
